From the beginning
by 4evershows
Summary: This story is picked up when the girls are still in police custody. How are they're going to get away from this situation? And how Aria choose between Jason and Ezra? Jason/Aria story
1. Chapter 1

Disclamer : Pretty little liars is not mine, unfortunately. If it is, there will be a lot more Jason's scene. I love Drew Van Acker!

Pretty little liars will be on break until next year, so I make this story to entertain myself. This is started where the last episode over. And it focused on Jason and Aria, because I shipped that couple. I have no problem with Ezria, I just prefer Jaria. So the story continues.

"When Alison DiLaurentis was murdered, she was hit so hard, it made an indentation to her skull. I've given you guys so many chances to just be honest with me. Evidence doesn't lie. We've known all along what the murder weapon was. Tonight we caught you with it." Detective Wilden looked at the girls with a satisfied smirk in his face.

"How do you know that is the murder weapon?" Veronica Hastings used her profession as a lawyer to back up the girls.

Detective Wilden looked at Veronica. "I'm sure that this is the murder weapon." He said with a firm tone.

"Is that your gut or you actually have prove that it is the murder weapon?" Veronica is really good with what she do.

"You know that we already conduct the DNA test for this murder weapon." He said again.

"And the result will come out at least twelve hours later. You can't definitely know that this is really the murder weapon. You don't anything to hold the girls."

Detective Wilden narrowed his eyes. "They founded with it."

"And it just a usual shovel, without the DNA test result. You don't have any evidence to back up your argument that this is the murder weapon. They didn't do anything wrong."

"What they are doing in the woods?" Detective Wilden asked again. He almost runs out arguments.

"I don't see why they have to tell you. Is there a law that forbids them for going in the woods?" Veronica can see in detective Wilden's face that she had won the argument. "You will release the girls right now. You don't have the ground to hold them." Detective Wilden knows that he lost this argument. And he can't do anything at the moment. "Come on girls, let's go home." Veronica sat up from the chair. The girls followed behind her, still quiet.

They just stepped out the room when detective Wilden talks again. "This for the parents. They're still the persons of interest in this murder investigation. After twelve hours, the result will come out, and you can expect that I will personally arrest them myself."

"We'll see you in twelve hours, then. If we'll see you." Veronica calls the bluff.

"You will." Detective Wilden said and then he walked out.

The girls immediately run to their parents. Aria runs the Ella and Byron. "Mom! Dad!" Aria hugs both of them.

Hanna also runs to her parents. Ashley immediately hugs her tightly. Hanna hugs her mom back and then she looks at Tom. "I'm so sorry, dad, about earlier."

Tom opened his arms and Hanna immediately comes for it. Tom hugs her. "We'll talk about that later, okay? We're here for you. We'll get through this." Hanna can feel the tears that running through her cheek. After that she turns to Caleb. He was also stay there the entire night with her parents. Hanna buried her face on Caleb's shoulder as he caressed her hair.

"This is not the time to be relieved. It isn't over yet. We go to our house to figure this thing out. Remember, we just have twelve hours." Veronica said. Everybody nodded. She hugs Spencer's shoulder and walked out from the police station. The others are following behind them.

Jason DiLaurentis was standing outside the police station, leaning to his car. Peter Hastings is the first one that sees him, and he immediately walked to him and shouted. "What are you still doing here? I told you to leave."

Jason crossed his arms on his chest, with a firm expression. "And I told you I'm not going to leave. I'm here for –" Jason doesn't have the chance to finished, when he sees someone running to him.

Aria couldn't think of anything when she sees Jason standing in front of her. She pulled away from Ella who hug her shoulders and ran to Jason. "Aria!" Ella shouted. But she can say anything else when she sees her daughter run to Jason DiLaurentis.

Jason welcomes Aria in his embrace and hugs her tightly. He can feel that Aria's little hands tightly clutching to his neck. After she gave in at Jason's embrace, Aria couldn't hold in anymore. She burst out in sobs in Jason's embrace. She can feel Jason's hand slowly caressed her back as he whispered slowly to her ear, "I'm here." Aria is surrender to her weakness for a moment and just crying in Jason's embrace.

When she is ready to face the world again, she pulled away from Jason and looked at him. "I'm sorry that I ruined your shirt." Aria said, indicating the huge stain of her tears on Jason's jacket.

"I don't mind." Jason said. Jason smiled sincerely as he reached out to her face and wipe her tears with his fingers.

"I'm dirty." Aria said again.

"I don't care." Jason said firmly, with a charming smirk in his face. Aria also smiles to him.

"This is really a fascinating stuff, Jason, Aria." Veronica opened her mouth. "Everybody was surprised. Nobody knows that you two are dating." Aria and Jason just about to opened their mouth and explain, but Veronica raised her hand to them, tell them not to talk. "We don't have time to do this right now. We only have twelve hours. Can you two deal with that after we take care of this situation?" Jason and Aria are just quite. "We really have to go."

"I'll drive her." Jason immediately speaks again. Everybody was looking at him. But he just looked at Aria.

"Fine. Come on." Veronica said, and then she signaling all of them to goes following her.

Jason looked at Aria. "Get in." Jason said. Aria walks to passenger side and get into Jason's car. A few seconds later, Jason drove out. They are so busy with each other, so they didn't notice the shadow that stands behind the tree, watching them. Ezra Fitz walked away with hurt expression on his face.

"Tell me how bad it is." Jason asked Aria in the road to The Hastings.

"It's bad." Aria answered.

Jason turned to Aria for a moment. "So I heard that they found the murder weapon that used to kill Ali."

"We didn't kill Ali. I will never do anything to hurt her." Aria answered quickly, defending herself, and her friends.

Jason immediately reached for Aria's hand. "I believe you, Aria. That's not why I ask." Jason pulled away his hand again. "I know that you will never hurt Ali. I know you. I just want to know how you and the girls found it." Aria looked at Jason for a moment, and then she looked at her hands. She wanted to say anything to Jason. But she knows that she can't. "You can say anything to me." Jason talks again.

Aria turned to Jason again. She can see the sincere expression in his face. And it breaks her heart. "I know. I trust you." Aria said. "But this is not just about me. It involved all of us. I can't just tell you. It isn't just my own secret to tell. I'm sorry."

Jason smile at her. "It's okay. I understand."

Aria looked at Jason. "Thank you." Aria said.

"For what?" Jason asked with a confused expression.

"You came. Even after everything that I did to you, you still came." Aria said.

"Well, you need me." Jason smirked at her.

Aria smiled back at him. She remembers earlier when she called him from the police station. "I didn't make the call before. I like to make it now." She said to the police officer. The officer takes her to the phone. She dialed the number and waiting for the answer. When she hears his voice, she can't hold it anymore. She burst out into tears. "I made a terrible mistake, and I need you." And Jason immediately came for her.

Aria looked at Jason. "I was so scared earlier. They could've charged us and make us rot in jail, and I will never see you again. And I can remember is the last time I saw you. Your sad face when I went with Ezra. You were right. I do feel the same. I care about you too." Aria grunts," God! I'm such a horrible person."

"No, you're not. Don't say that." Jason says to her.

"But I am. I have a boyfriend. And I love Ezra. He's wonderful to me. Because of me, he could face a jail time, but he never gives up on me. And what I did to repay him? I fell in love with you." Aria said, without realizing what she saying.

"What did you said?" But Jason heard it loud and clear.

"He's been perfectly nice to me. He risks everything for me. But I go falling for you. My friends hates you. They don't trust you. I don't know why I never doubted you." Aria keeps rambling.

Suddenly Jason stopped the car on the side of the road. Aria just about to ask him why, Jason already pressed his lips on hers. The kiss wasn't soft like before. He kisses her hard, with passion. Aria doesn't have to think, she kisses him back. They kiss for a few seconds, before Jason pulled away with a smile in his face.

"I think we better catch up. All hell will break loose if Veronica Hastings loses it." Jason smirked.

"Yeah." Aria couldn't say anything anymore. She still can feel Jason's lips in hers.

Jason stopped the car in front of the Hastings. "I'll be next door if you need me." Jason said.

"Jason, I-" Aria doesn't know what to say to Jason.

"We'll talk later." And Jason understands her perfectly. "After all of this over. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you." Aria nodded. She kissed Jason's cheek softly and then she got out from the car and walked into the house.

Everybody was waiting on her when she walked in to the house. And Veronica doesn't waste any time. "You need to tell us everything. So we can help you." Veronica says, looked at the girls one by one. "You're not alone in this. We believe you. We know that none of you will do something like this. But you have to tell us everything."

The girls still silent. So Ella looked at Aria. "Aria, I know that there is something that you're telling us. Like the one that happened in that fashion show. I know that you girls know something. We're here to help."

"Yes, Hanna. We're your parents. We'll do anything to protect you." Ashley also spoke her mind.

"But you have to trust us, like we trust you." Veronica says again. She looked at Spencer. "Spencer?"

Spencer raised her head. "Could you all give us a minute?"

Veronica sighed. "Okay, you get ten minutes."

Spencer is the first on got up and walks toward her room. The other girls following her. "Do you think we should tell them?" Hanna said, as soon as Emily closed the door.

"What the hell are you doing with Jason?" Spencer turned to Aria.

"What?" Aria surprised that Spencer still want to ask about this, when their freedom on the line.

"He can be the one that behind this. He could be A, Aria." Spencer said again.

Now Aria knows what Spencer suggesting. "No, he's not. I believe him, Spence. He's not involved in this. I know he's not." Aria immediately defends him.

"Aria-" Spencer just about to say something else, when Emily interrupted her.

"Spence, I know that you're worried. But we're in a very bad situation here. We can blame everyone, or we can find the solution." Emily said.

"Look. I know that all of you don't trust Jason." Aria said again.

"It is really hard to trust him, considering his behavior, Aria." Hanna also said.

"Then trust me." Aria said again with a firm tone.

They're all looking at her. "You really have that much faith in him?" Spencer asked again.

Aria nodded without a doubt. "I do. He's innocent. He's not involved in this. I'm sure"

Spencer still can't trust Jason just like that. But she gave it for now. Emily is right. The situation is bad enough without her keep attack Aria.

"So we have to assume that is Garrett and Jenna that set us up." Hanna said; make Spencer back to the problem in hand.

"We have to know what NAT is." Spencer said.

"One of the members, Aria's new boyfriend, is living next door. We can just ask him." Hanna talked again.

"You guys, this is really not the time. Our parents are waiting on us downstairs for our explanation. What are you going to tell them?" Emily said.

"Anything but the truth." Aria answered.

"I agree with Aria." Spencer also said.

"Why we can't just tell them the truth? I'm tired of lying." Emily said.

"Emily is right. Maybe we're out of our head to think that we can handle A alone. Maybe it is time to seek for help." Hanna is backing Emily up.

"The last time we tell anyone about this, how is Dr. Sullivan? She is still missing. We still don't know what happen to her." Spencer said.

"That could happen to anyone. I think we all know what A capable of. We can't take the risk of endangering our family." Aria said. Emily and Hanna sighed. They know that Aria and Spencer are right.

"So what we're going to tell them? They will want to know what we are doing in the woods." Hanna said.

They are all silent for a minute or more. Their mind is thinking about the same thing. They are trying to find some reason. "Maybe we could them that Dr. Sullivan asked us to go there." Spencer said.

"Is that your only idea?" Hanna doesn't agree.

"Think about it, guys. This is a great idea. We tell them that Dr. Sullivan asked us to go there. And then they will have to find Dr. Sullivan to crosscheck with our story. It's a win-win. They can find Dr. Sullivan along the way." Spencer explained.

"What if they're not found her?" Aria asked.

"It is too bad for Dr. Sullivan. But there is no harm done. If they can find her, they will know that she's gone missing. And that is not our faults" Spencer answered. "What do you think?" Spencer asked all of them.

She looked at Hanna. She just shrugged. Spencer looked at Emily after. "I think that is the best idea so far, considering we don't have anything else." Spencer looked at Aria. She nodded in agreement.

"What about that shovel? Is it really the murder weapon? The one that killed Ali." Aria said again.

"We still don't know. They are still conducting the DNA test." Spencer said.

"If that is really the murder weapon, there is no doubt then." Emily said.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"A is the one that kill Alison, whoever he, she or they were." Emily said.

They are silent again for a minute or more. "How is about that fashion show?" Aria suddenly opened her mouth again. The others were looking at her. "My mom knows that something." Aria is looking at Hanna. "I think she even talked to your mom."

Emily sighed. "This is really too much. How long we have to do this? Lie to our parents?" The others don't say anything. They don't know what to say either.

"Spencer! Aria! Hanna! Emily!"

"Our time is up." Spencer said. "I think we shouldn't say anything about what happened in that fashion show. If we're stuck, just say we suspected it was Noel Khan."

"Noel?" Aria widened her eyes. Aria already told the girls about the incident with Noel after the fashion show. She just didn't volunteer to add that Jason was with her at the same time.

Spencer shrugged. Hanna and Emily just sighed. Spencer always has the idea. So it best that they just followed her, like they used to followed Ali. Spencer walked out from the room and come back to the living room, followed by the others.

Spencer looked at her mom. "We already talk about this. We think it best if we tell you what happened. We realized now, that we can't do this alone." Spencer looked at Emily.

"I got a letter from Dr. Sullivan. She needs to see us. She said she has something to tell us. I try to text the girls. But my phone died." Emily said.

"We got the same news when we're in the church. When we got there, we found Emily lying in the ground." Hanna continued.

"What happened?" Veronica asked, straightly to Emily.

"I don't remember. I remembered I was calling for Dr. Sullivan. I went into the barn, and suddenly I can't breathe. I can't remember anything else." Emily explained. "When I woke up, I saw them."

"We're panicked when we saw Emily lying on the ground. We don't really see anything else. But when she woke up, we started to see the surrounding around us. And that's when we notice a shovel. And then we saw a straw buried in the ground." It is Aria's turn now to explain.

"We don't have the chance to think. We just assume the worst, that there is someone buried down there. We started to dig. And you know the rest." Spencer is finishing their explanation.

"There is something that I don't understand." Peter Hastings looked at the girls. "Why is Dr. Sullivan wanted to see you all in the woods?"

"You have to ask Dr. Sullivan about that, dad." Spencer answer.

"Don't you think it's strange that she wanted to see you in the woods? Why you went there?" Veronica asked too.

"We didn't know. She didn't exactly say the woods. She gave us GPS coordinate." Emily said.

"We didn't know that it will turn out like this." Spencer said again.

"Why is Dr. Sullivan can have the weapon that used to murder Alison?" Byron opened his mouth.

"We should ask her about that, dad. We didn't say anything, because we didn't want to get her in trouble." Aria said again.

"We should tell the police about this. Dr Sullivan set them up. They didn't know anything about this." Veronica said to the others parent. The girls are just silently looking each other. They don't want to lie to their parents. But they know that they didn't have a choice in order to protect them.

Suddenly four of cell phones are buzzing. The girls are looking at each other. They didn't have to opened to know that is A who texted them. But they opened it anyway. Their parents are busy talking to each other about how to release them from all the charges. So they didn't notice them looking at their cells at the same time.

They opened their cells. "Good thinking, bitches. Glad that you're figure out how to play this game. I will return the ball back to you, because I still want to play. A." The girls are looking at each other. The game is just begins. And they didn't have any intention to lose. They will fight back.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclamer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars

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><p>Veronica and Peter Hastings went back to the police station to inform them with the new information regarding Dr. Sullivan. The others just waited on them at the Hastings. Spencer and Emily silently sat next to each other, while Aria and Hanna sit with their family.<p>

Hanna and Tom looked like they involved in a very serious conversation, so Ashley turned to Caleb. "Thank you, Caleb." Caleb looked at Ashley. "You're here for Hanna. That's very kind of you. I really appreciate it."

Caleb smiled sincerely. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Marin." Caleb said.

"Ashley." Ashley immediately corrected him. "You can call me Ashley."

Caleb smile is getting wider. "Okay, Ashley."

Tom listened to their conversation, and then turned to Hanna. "Well, at least I know that you have a wonderful boyfriend. So I don't have to worry in that department." Tom said to Hanna.

Hanna looked at Caleb who smiled at her, and then turned back to Tom. "Yeah. Caleb is wonderful. Not like me. I always make up a mess. I'm so sorry about earlier, dad." Hanna said.

Tom can see the regret in his daughter's eyes. She really feels so guilty about this. "I'm not said that I'm not mad at you, Hanna. What you did is unacceptable."

"I know." Hanna said silently.

"But I understand." Hanna looked at Tom, surprised. "You want me to get back together with your mother." Hanna just about to explain, but Tom keeps talking. "Your mother and I, we haven't be a good example for you. What happened with your mother last time, it should never happen. I'm making you confused. I cheated on her before and I bailed on you two, and then I come back and disturb the lives that you two have built without me. I'm so sorry, Hanna." Tom looked at Ashley too. He knows that Ashley was listening too. "Ashley."

"Are you serious about that?" Ashley asked him.

Tom looked directly to Ashley now. "I know I was wrong. You always stand by me through everything but I'm such a disappointment to you. I get it now. My own daughter needs to stop this wedding to let me know that I am making a huge mistake. I won't step away from my family again. This is where I suppose to be." Ashley feels so overwhelmed when she heard what Tom said. She smiled at him. Tom hugs Hanna, who hugs Ashley, who hugs Caleb.

"To one big happy family." Tom said. The others just laughed.

Suddenly Hanna's cell buzzed. She gets a text. She quickly read it. "You're not in jail. And you're got your dad back. That's what you got when you're playing by my rule. A."

Meanwhile, Aria is sitting with Ella and Byron. "So you're dating Jason DiLaurentis? Is that what you're keeping from us?" Ella asked Aria. Ella is remembering how strange Aria is this couple of months. She knows that her daughter was keeping something from her, but she never asked.

Aria is narrowing her eyes to her mother. "Mom, do you think this is the right time to talk about this?"

"I don't like Jason." Byron suddenly said.

Aria turned to him. She isn't really dating Jason yet, but she can felt herself worrying over that her dad isn't going to like Jason. Ella looked at Byron too. "You won't like any guy that dating your daughter. You're a dad. That's natural." Ella ignored him and looked at Aria again. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not exactly thrilled that you're dating Jason. He's not exactly every mother's dream for son in law."

"Son in law?" Aria widened her eyes. She didn't even know what her relationship with Jason right now, and her mother already talking about son in law.

"You know what I mean." Ella said again. "Everybody knows that he used to get high."

"He's not doing that stuff anymore." Aria immediately jumped to back up Jason without her even realizing it.

Ella rolled her eyes of how fast Aria comes into Jason defense. Aria just coughs nervously. "That isn't what I meant. Even Jason had bad reputation; I still will choose him over Ezra Fitz."

"What?" Suddenly Aria felt like she chocked up.

"He is even daring enough to come to police station." Ella is whispering into Aria's ear.

Aria immediately jumped into conclusion that Ella already knows about her relationship with Ezra. "Mom, I can explain."

"You don't need to explain anything, Aria. This isn't my problem. I know that. I'm very sorry for Veronica and Peter Hastings, but I'm thankful that you choose Jason DiLaurentis, even though he's not my first choice." Ella said.

"Spencer." Aria whispered without realizing it. She knows that she shouldn't be relieved that her mother thinks that it was Spencer that has a relationship with Ezra. But she can't help but let go sighed of relief.

"Yeah. I know Ezra is young, and definitely attractive, but how can he do that? She was his student." Ella keeps talking.

"Mom, you're really wrong about this. Spencer and Ezra, they have no relationship." Aria couldn't just let Spencer taking the fall for what she's done.

Ella looked at Aria. "You don't have to hide it again from me. I know." Ella said with a firm tone. "He is even shameless enough to say that he is in love with her. I really disappointed in him." Aria knows that this is the time to shut her mouth.

* * *

><p>They've been waited for more than two hours. But the Hastings haven't returned yet from the police station. Wayne and Pam Field, Emily's parent already arrived at the Hastings. Right now the parents are talking to each other. They're getting worried because Veronica and Peter Hastings haven't returned yet.<p>

Caleb and Toby are talking to each other for the very first time. But they looks like that they get along fine.

The girls are sitting next to each other without words. "Ezra came to the police station earlier." Aria opened her mouth, to Spencer. "My mom thinks that he's there for you."

Spencer widened her eyes. "How long exactly I have to pretend to date Ezra Fitz?" Spencer asked Aria with a sarcastic tone.

"I'm so sorry, Spence. I try to defend you in front of my mom. But Ezra has to say that he's in love with her. So my Mom just assumes that was you." Aria explained.

Spencer sighed. "You have to fix this, Aria. If your mom says something to my parents –"

"No. She wouldn't." Aria quickly said.

"I am looking forward how Aria will break this news to her mom. She thinks Jason is her future son in law." Hanna said. Aria looked at Hanna. "I sat next to you. I can hear you." Hanna said.

"You explained it to your mom, right? That you aren't dating Jason." Emily said. Aria coughed nervously. And Emily already knows the answer. "I can't believe you."

"This isn't the right time to have a discussion about that. And I can't have my mom suspected me of having a relationship with Ezra." Aria is quickly defending herself.

"Aria, are you in love with Jason?" Emily looked in Aria's eyes.

"What?" Aria gasped.

"You heard me." Actually Emily already suspected that when Aria said she was having dreams about Jason. The naked kind. But she kept it to herself, and she doesn't even say a word to the others because Aria asked her to. But she thinks right now is the time the others to know.

Spencer and Hanna also looked Aria. Aria knows she is cornered. "I don't know." So she had no choice than to answer it. The others are narrowing their eyes on Aria. They don't believe her. "I think so." So Aria has to change her answer.

"I can't believe you. You totally are falling for Jason." Spencer said. Aria keeps quite. She doesn't know what to say. But apparently that attitude makes Spencer suspecting more. "Are you having an affair with him?"

Everyone can see that Aria blushed. "No!" Aria quickly answered. "I don't think you can categorize that as an affair." Aria added.

"Aria, what did you do?" Emily asked with a horrified face.

"Nothing. We're just kissed." Aria whispered.

"How many times you guys kissed? I can't believe you kiss Jason DiLaurentis." Hanna said with a smirk in her face.

"Once!" Aria answered, a little too quickly. "And one more." She added silently.

Hanna smirked at her, when Spencer and Emily both have a horrified expression on their face. "Well done, Aria. I never know that you have it in you." Hanna teased her.

"Maybe you should talk to Jason." Spencer suddenly opened her mouth, and clearly to Aria.

Aria turned to Spencer. "What?"

"We can't just lie around waiting the cops to arrest us. At least we have to find out about Jenna and Garrett." Spencer continued.

"And how that connected by me talking to Jason?" Aria asked Spencer with sarcastic tone.

"You two hooked up. I think he will be more than pleased to feed your curiosity." Spencer said back to Aria.

"Spencer is right. We can't just lie around and waiting the cops to come. If we want to beat A, we should way ahead of her, him, them, whatever." Hanna said too.

"There will be no harm done if you really trust him." Spencer said again.

"We have to know what that NAT club is." Emily said too.

"Fine." Aria said.

* * *

><p>She already stands in front of Jason's house for about five minutes. She can't bring herself to knock the door. Her heart is beating so fast. And she can feel her face is blushing, because she keep remembered the time when Jason kissed her. But she knows that she has to do it eventually, so she forces herself to knock the door.<p>

Jason opened the door a few seconds later. He just finished shower. He just wears a towel to cover his down area. His bare chest is still wet. Aria quickly blushed again.

"Aria." Jason smiled at her. She can see how his expression change when he saw her, that makes her happy and her heart beats faster.

"Hey."

"Come in." Jason stepped aside to let Aria to come inside.

Jason closed the door and turned to Aria. "So how is it going?" Aria understands that Jason is asking about the latest development on their case.

"Well, we already explained it all to – our parents. And now – Spencer - I mean her parents, the Hastings are in police station –" Aria has a problem to concentrate how to tell the story to Jason when he standing naked in front of her. "Could you please put on a shirt?" And she couldn't hold it anymore.

Jason smirked at her. "Why? Is it making you uncomfortable?" Jason teased her when he saw Aria is blushed even more. "It never bothers you before."

Aria is rolling her eyes on him. "You know why."

Jason let out a laugh. "You're so cute when you're blushing." Jason said. Jason's word just makes Aria blushed even more. Her face feels so hot right now. "Help yourself." Jason indicated to his kitchen. "I'll put on a shirt. I'll be right back." Jason walked out still with a smirk.

Aria looked around the kitchen and pours herself a glass of water. The place looked so different now than the last time she was here to see Alison. This is the first time she is in that house after Ali went missing.

Suddenly there is a knock on the door. "Jason!" Aria tries to calls Jason. But he didn't answer. So Aria walked in to the front door and opened it. Aria looked so surprise to see the person who stands in front of the door. "Jackie? What are you doing here?"

"I've been waiting in front of the house for an hour. When you finally come out, is to see other guy. That is not my problem anymore." Jackie said.

"What do you want? You want to –" Aria hasn't had the chance to finished, when Jackie interrupted her.

"I will go. I will leave Hollis and never bothers Ezra anymore. I will the two of you alone. Just don't leak that." Jackie looked at Aria.

Aria raised her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?" Aria asked, confusedly.

"Don't act stupid, Aria. There is nobody else here but you and me. I just never thought that you're that kind of person." Jackie said again.

Aria shook her head. "I really don't understand what you are talking about."

"You know what. Save your act. I'll leave. You win." Jackie turned around and walked away, leaving Aria stood in the door, more confuse than ever.

And then Aria's cell buzzed. She quickly took it out from the pockets. She gets a text. "I'll leak this if you don't leave Hollis right away. You know what will happen if it ever come out. I mean it. Don't try to play around with me. Aria."

She doesn't have to think who is the one that really sent it. A. She scrolls down to see the picture. That is Jackie's picture with some guy that looked old enough to be her dad. When she looked at carefully, she knows that guy. It's the head department of Hollis. Now she knows how Jackie can get a job in there. And then her cells buzzed again. She gets another text. "You're welcome, Aria. I just not sure that you still want to same guy or not when you can get my brother. But it doesn't mean that I won't collect. Just wait for it. A."

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Pretty Little Liars is not mine! (Sadly)

Author's note: Thanks for the review guys, hope you'll enjoy this chapter. It is a pure fluff of Jaria. Will be update again soon.

Aria drown in her own mind, thinking about the text that she just got from A. so she doesn't even realized when Jason walked down the stairs and saw her standing in the door with a concerned looks in her face.

"Aria, are you okay?" Jason asked her. She can hear the concerned in his voice. And that makes her heart fill with his warmth. "Aria? Who knocked at the door?" Jason asked again when Aria doesn't say a word.

Aria looked at Jason. She can't take this anymore. She felt overwhelmed. Today has been a long day for her. Dr Sullivan is missing. She has to threaten Jackie into leaving Hollis earlier. She and the girls have to dig out what they thought is a grave. And she has to spend the rest of the night at the police station, accused of killing her best friend. She already endures so much. She can't take it anymore. She has to tell somebody.

Aria closed the door and looked at Jason with a serious expression on her face. "Nobody ever comes here, right? You always locked your house. You even cover you windows with paper." Aria asked him.

Jason narrows his eyes. "Why?"

"I need to tell you something. But I need to know that this house is safe. That no one will listen to our conversation. Nobody can know about this." Aria said.

"There's only the two of us here, Aria." Jason said.

"If somebody ever been here before, this house could've been bug." Aria said.

Jason chuckled. "This is not some spy movie, Aria. Why anybody want to bug my house? I'm not someone important for the government or something." Jason teased her.

"I'm not kidding, Jason! Someone could've bugged this house! It happened before." Aria almost screamed our desperation.

Jason was confused. But he can see the frightened in her face, so he nodded. "You're the only one that ever been here. Well, Garrett was here before. But I never leave him alone."

"How is about Jenna? Is she ever been here before?" Aria asked.

Jason narrows his eyes. "Who is Jenna?" Jason asked with a confused tone. After a few seconds, Aria can see the recognition in his face. "Is she the Cavanaugh girl? The one who Garrett was dated? Oh. She did the speech on Alison memorial thing, right?"

Aria looked at Jason in confusion. He should be knows Jenna. But he doesn't even remember her properly? "Aren't you all supposed to be in the same club? The N.A.T club."

Jason's face quickly changed when Aria said that. "How do you know about that?" Jason asked. "Have you been snooped around my life?" Jason asked with an angry tone. "God! It just likes Alison all over again."

Aria snapped when she heard Jason talk about that. "We weren't trying to hurt anybody! We just need answers. You aren't the only one with unanswered questions. This isn't about you."

Jason looked at Aria with apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I should've taken it on you. It just – there are things that I've done in the past that I wished I never did. I was trying to forget that. The constant reminding about that clearly doesn't help."

Aria softens when she hears Jason's explanation. "I don't mean it like that."

"I know." Jason smiled. "Maybe I wasn't meant to forget about that. Maybe I should deal with it." Jason looked at Aria. He doesn't want to remembered, but he knows that Aria needed it. "We used to spend the days together; me, Ian and Garrett. Like you girls. But you have meaningful relationships, always sharing about everything. We're just got stoned all the time. We spent every day by getting high. Ian used to bring Melissa, Garrett used to bring that Cavanaugh girl, Jenna –"

"What about you? Who did you used to bring?" Aria asked. She knows that this maybe isn't the best time to ask this, but she can't help herself to ask.

"Nobody." Jason looked at Aria. "The girl I likes, I don't know if she likes me too." Jason said. "Back then." Jason added. Jason's word makes Aria blushed again. She hated the fact that Jason has that effect on her.

"Anyway, we used to get high together, until one time Peter Hastings found out about that. Melissa was grounded and not allowed to see us anymore. And Jenna didn't spend the time with us as long as usual because she's the only girl. So it just us guys." Jason laughed. "You know how guy is. We were bored. We were high. So Ian is comes out with an idea of fun." Aria rolled her eyes. "We can see you girls everyday through my window."

Aria can guess what happened next. She can put the pieces together. The video that A has been sent, they are the one that made it. "So you were spying on us?" Jason nodded slowly. There is regret in his eyes. Aria can see that.

"Not just you, but almost all the girls in Rosewood. We found out a lot of things when we were spying on you girls. So we made that N.A.T club. The Latin is Nos Animadverto Totus. It means we see all." Jason said.

"What kind of things that you were found out about?" Aria asked.

"We found out about a lot of things. Garrett is a great detective, so he is a cop now." Aria is flinched when Jason says that. "We know that you had a crush on Noel Kahn." Jason smirked at her. "We also know that your dad was cheated on your mom, and Ali wanted you to keep it a secret."

Aria rolled her eyes on him. "All that you guys found out is about me?"

Suddenly Jason blushed. "Not really." Jason looked at deep into Aria's eyes. "But the only ones that I can remember are about you." Aria really feels that something is wrong with her. Jason was admitted his crime. And Aria blushed because his confessions.

Aria tried to focus on the problem at hand. "Keep going."

Jason coughed nervously and he continues his story. "We made a video sometimes about all of you. Ian had an affair with Spencer. And I know that he also had a relationship with my sister. He was the one that connected a lot with you all. That makes him invested more in this. I could care less. I just care about getting high that time." Jason looked at Aria. "That day Ali found out about that video. I was too high to concern about that. Ian handled her. "

"Are Jenna and Garrett there at that time?" Aria asked.

Jason rolled his eyes on her. "Why you're asking that? Do you know something?" Jason asked back to her.

Aria shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just wanted to make sure."

"What is that you girls know?" Jason asked again.

Aria knows that she can't just asked him questions without tell him anything. And she really has to tell someone about this. Someone other than the four of them. "We know that Ian isn't the one that killed Alison. We're sure of that."

Jason widened her eyes. "How do you know that?"

Aria's mind quickly remembering the talk they had on Ian's funeral. "It doesn't mean that you're the one that did it. I wasn't suggesting that." Aria said quickly.

"I know. I remembered everything now. It is still a little hazy, but I know that I didn't kill Ali. I remembered what I was doing that day. It didn't include killing my sister." Jason looked at Aria. "I just wanted to know how you found out about that. How you can be sure that Ian wasn't the one that killed Ali?"

"There is a video that sent to us. It was Ian and Alison. They were flirting and kissing. But Ian didn't kill her."

Jason narrows his eyes on Aria. "Is that video looks like that it is made by camcorder?" Jason asked.

Aria nodded. "Yes. In that video, Ian was holding the camcorder most of the time. Why?" Aria asked back.

"That camcorder is the one that we use to record when we're spying on you. The day that Ali went missing, the camcorder is also missing. I looked everywhere. I think Ali hide it. I already torn the whole house but I couldn't find it." Jason explained.

"What is in that camcorder?" Aria asked.

Jason doesn't have to answer; Aria could see the answer in his expression. There is a lot of secret in that camcorder. "You said the video is sent to you. Do you have any idea who sent it to you?"

Aria is silent for a while. Aria sighed. She isn't sure that she really wanted to tell Jason about A, but she needed to do that. "Aria?"

Aria looked at Jason. "There is someone or maybe more than one. They have been blackmailing us. They called themselves A. For Alison. They know everything. We can't keep any secret from them."

Jason watched Aria. "What are they blackmailed you about?" Jason asked.

Aria sighed. "A lot of things. There are some secrets in our life that we hope to stay secret. They made us to do things if we don't want that secret to come out." Aria explained the best way she can. She can't really say everything to Jason without tell him all the secrets.

But Jason understands. The one thing that he should be understood is keeping a secret, considering how many how of them that he keeps right now. So he didn't ask Aria again about this. "Do you have any idea who this A might be?" Jason asked.

"We think A might be the N.A.T club." Aria said. Jason's face immediately changed. "But I know that you're not involved. So it might be Garrett and Jenna." Aria said quickly. "But we know Ian was involved in this. They were in this together."

"I'm not exactly sure. It is all kind of blurry. But I remembered Ali was coming home that day. They were kissing. Her and Ian. They didn't think I was notice them. I was really high that time. Then Ali started yelling. I don't remember about what. Jenna was shouted. Garrett and Ian were struggling with Ali." Jason looked at Aria. "I remembered I was looking at the camcorder when I was high. I know that I put it in on position. It should be recorded the whole thing. But I couldn't find it anywhere."

"I'm sure A has that." Aria said.

Jason sighed. "I can't believe that Garrett and Jenna might be the one that killed my sister." Jason sat on the stairs. "I was there, Aria. If I wasn't high that time,"

Aria knows what Jason was going with this. "This isn't your fault. This has nothing to do with you. You've changed. You're not the same person anymore. Sometimes people are just – bad."

Jason smiled at her. He took his hand out to Aria. Aria was stood there for a while but she took Jason's hand at last. "Thanks, Aria. That meant a lot to me." Aria smiled at him. "You might be the only one that thinking of me likes that."

"That isn't true." Aria quickly said. But she knows that most people did think of him as a bad person, including her friends.

Jason chuckled. "You were so nice to me. You don't have to spare me the pain. I can handle it. I have the one person that I need believed in me. That is enough for me." Jason squeezed Aria's hand. Aria just smiled at him. Just in one day their relationship already move this fast. She is overwhelmed. She still doesn't know what she has to do about Jason and Ezra, but right now she is happy.

Jason pulled Aria's hand, guided her to sit next to him. "There is something that I want to tell you." Jason has serious expression in his face. So Aria immediately sat next to him. "I know how hard for you to tell me about A. And I appreciated that you tell me, because it means that you really did trust me. So I want to return it to you." Aria just silent listened to Jason. "Maybe Spencer had told you about the argument between me and Peter Hastings?"

Jason just assumed, considering how close the girls are to each other. They might be already talked about this. Aria nodded. "Yeah, Spencer told us about that. She said Mr. Hastings came to your house and you have an argument. Not to mention the argument he had with your mom."

Jason nodded. "There is a secret behind that, Aria. I'll tell you. But I don't think you should tell Spencer yet. Peter Hastings will tell them if he is ready." Aria rolled her eyes. "Ali isn't my father's daughter. My mom had an affair with Peter Hastings." Aria's eyes widened.

"So Spencer and Ali, they were sisters – for real?" Aria gasped.

Jason nodded. "Ali found out about that a few weeks before she disappeared. She couldn't take it. Why she was the one that isn't my father's daughter when she already is the perfect daughter, and I am the loser son. So she made it like I was the bastard child. She went to our grandmother and told her that I'm not her real grandson. So she writes me off from her will. And then Ali went missing. My mom and Peter Hastings hide the fact that my grandmother writes me off from her will because they were afraid that I will become the suspect on her murder investigation."

Aria didn't know how to comment that story that Jason told. She was surprised. They have too many secrets to keep. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Aria. I just wanted to be honest with you. I have no secret from you. I like to keep it that way." Jason smiled at her.

Aria looked at Jason. She knows this maybe not the best time to have a conversation about this. But Jason already so honest with her, she wanted to do the same thing to him. "I love Ezra." Aria said. Jason nodded. She can't read the expression on his face. It remained calm. "But I think I love you too." Aria says again.

Jason smiled this time. "And you know how I feel about you, Aria."

"I don't know what to do." Aria finally managed to get those words out. "I'm sorry."

Jason shook his head. "No, Aria. Don't be sorry. I'm the one that intrude your life. You were with him already, because I'm not brave enough to chase you when Ali was alive. I was too late." Jason said.

Aria sighed. She doesn't want Jason to say that. But she knows that she can't give any promises to him right now, so she can't really say anything anymore.

"But it doesn't mean that I will give you up. Not when I know that you share the same feeling like I do." Jason says again. Aria turned to Jason. "I know that you have too much on your plate right now but when all of this over, you has a choice to make. I'll wait for you." As soon as Jason said that, his lips already crushed on Aria's lips. So she didn't have the chance to say anything back to Jason. And she didn't have to. When she kissed him back, Jason already knows her answer.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Pretty little liars is not mine. So don't sue me!

Author's note: Thanks for the review guys. Hope you're enjoying this chapter.

Jason walked Aria back to the Hastings, because he thinks it too dangerous for her to walk by herself even though it just next door. Aria promised to call him later after all of this over. When she walked into the house, the girls immediately surrounded her.

"So what happened at Jason's?" Spencer asked.

Aria immediately blushed. "What?" Hanna smirked and Emily shook her head. Spencer rolled her eyes on her. They all know what Aria was thinking about.

"I'm not interested in your love life right now. I'm asking about Jenna and Garrett. What do you got from Jason?" Spencer asked again.

Aria blushed again because of embarrassment. "Yeah, about that –" Aria hasn't had the chance to tell the others when they heard a car stopped in front of the house.

"Your parents are back." Hanna said. "Mom. Dad." Hanna turned to the parents and gave them a heads up.

The parents immediately walked to the door and welcome the Hastings. "Mom, dad, you're gone for a long time." Spencer said to her parents.

There is a confused expression on their face. "Peter, Veronica, your face doesn't look so good. What happened?" Byron asked.

"You making us worried." Spencer said again.

Veronica and Peter both sighed. "Well, we have a good news, considering." Veronica said.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked.

"When we arrived at the police station, they just let us sat there, for more than an hour. We asked for detective Wilden, but he's conveniently busy. We don't know what he was working on. We know that he tries to buy time. But we don't know what he planned." Veronica explained.

"After more than two hours we finally found out what he is working on. He rushed the DNA test so they can get the result fast." Peter said.

"So the DNA test result is already come out?" Spencer asked.

Veronica nodded. "Detective Wilden wasted a lot of money and work force for this. The result is negative. They didn't found any DNA on the shovel."

"He is definitely fired. That is the second good news." Peter continued.

"So it is over then? The girls are free?" Ella asked to make sure.

Veronica nodded, but still there is a confused expression on her face. "It is over. But I still don't get it why Dr. Sullivan framed them in the first place? And it isn't the real murder weapon. Why she did this?" There is no one answering her, because no one really knows the answer of that question either.

"So you already told the police about Dr. Sullivan went missing?" Ashley asked the Hastings.

Peter nodded. "We already tell all of it to the police. They are handling that."

"I think we can go back home now? The girls had been through enough. I think they need to rest." Pam Fields opened her mouth. The others nodded and agree with them.

The girls are looking at each other. They know each other for so long so they didn't even need to talk to each other. They understand each other perfectly. They are on their webcam in their room that night. Aria explained it all to them about Jenna and Garrett.

"So the chance that Jenna and Garrett are A is quite big." Hanna said.

"I think they are A." Emily said.

"We just don't have the proof." Spencer said.

"If we can just get that video," Aria said.

"But at least we know for sure that they are involved in this somehow. So we have to be careful with them." Spencer said. They all nodded in agreement.

"I just don't understand why they are playing with us with that shovel. A obviously know what the murder weapon is. So they might have it. So why they plant the fake one?" Emily raised a question.

"Because A didn't have it." Spencer gasped. They are all looking at her. "Page 5, guys,"

"What about page 5?" Hanna asked.

"I think it mentioned in page five that the murder weapon could easily be a shovel. And A framed us with it. I think A wasn't the one that killed Ali." Spencer comes with a realization.

"What makes you think that?" Aria asked.

"If A really did killed Ali, they didn't need that page five to know that the murder weapon is a shovel." Spencer said. Spencer looked at the others. "But hearing Jason's story from Aria, there is a big chance that Jenna and Garrett are the one that killed Alison. But they might be not A."

Emily sighed. "This is really confusing, guys. We have to do something here. We can't just lie around and wait for A or Ali's killer, if they are a different person, to come at us."

"Emily is right. We have to find a way to find that video. That is our only chance." Spencer said. Spencer sighed. "I'm so tired today. We need to rest. I can't think of anything right now."

"Same here," Aria added.

They are all just about to say goodbye, when Hanna raised another question. "There is one thing that I don't understand. A obviously know that it isn't the real murder weapon. Why A still framed us with it?"

"I think that obvious." Spencer said. "A wanted us to play with their game. We broke the rules. We tell other people. I think this their way to punish us because we tell Dr. Sullivan." Spencer looked at the others. "When we followed their game, I got Toby back. Just like that. And the charges were dropped. I think it says enough."

"My dad wanted to come back home. He's here right now, with my mom." Hanna also said.

Aria gulped. She just told Jason about A. Will A do something at him? "Guys, we talked tomorrow okay? I have to go right now." Aria doesn't wait for the other's answer and disconnected the web cam.

Aria sneaked out from the house and ran to Jason's. She knocked so hard that it hurt her hand. Jason opened the door finally. His eyes were flinched to see the light. He was sleeping. "Aria?" Jason surprised to see her on his front porch.

Aria doesn't wait for him to let her in. She just throws herself at him and hugs him tightly. "Thank God you're okay."

Jason was confused but he hugged Aria back. "Of course I am. What's wrong?" Jason asked. Aria pulled away from him. Jason immediately guided her to come into the house. "What happened?"

"The girls think that Dr. Sullivan kidnapped because we tell her about A. I just told you about A. I was afraid that A did something to you." Aria explained.

Jason suddenly pulled Aria into his embrace. "You are making me so hard to wait, Aria. I am trying my best to be patience." Jason pulled away and looked at Aria in the eyes. "Just for tonight," Jason caressed Aria's cheek that blushed. "I'll be patience again tomorrow." Jason doesn't waste another second and kissing her. Jason continued to kiss her. Her lips, her cheek, down her neck. "I love you, Aria." He whispered in her ear. Jason running his hands through her waved hair, her lips on his neck. He could never have enough of her.

It is the sound of her cell that woke up Aria from her sleep. She could barely remember what happened last night. But she is naked now in Jason's bed with him sleeping next to her. She can guess what had happened last night. Her cell rings again, brings her back to reality. She grabbed her phone from her pocket pants that lying on the floor. It is Emily.

"Hello." Aria answered.

"Tell me that you're not in Jason's house and naked in Jason's bed." Emily said.

Aria gasped. "How do you know?"

"Because I can see you through Spencer's room window." Emily said.

Aria immediately turned to the window. She can see Emily looking at her from Spencer's room next door. Aria is run to the window and closes the curtain. "You can't peek." Aria talked to Emily again.

"You think I want to?" Emily said back. "Now get your ass over here before I come over there and drag you myself." Emily immediately hangs up. After that the door opened. Spencer and Hanna come in with coffee in their hands.

"Did you found her?" Spencer asked Emily.

Emily nodded. "I don't only found her. I saw her. All of her." Spencer rolled her eyes out of confusion. "Naked. In Jason's bed." Emily continued. Spencer widened her eyes while Hanna smirked of amusement. "We have to do something here. We can't let Aria keep spending time with Jason."

"She is really out of her mind!" Spencer also commented.

"Chill out, guys. She likes the guy. Just be happy for her." Hanna said.

"Jason could easily be a murderer, Hanna!" Spencer said.

"That is the key word, Spence. Could easily. It doesn't mean that he is really the murderer. There are two options here, whether he is a murderer or he is innocent. Do you ever think that he might be innocent? Could you at least give him the benefit of the doubt?" Hanna said again.

Spencer rolled her eyes on Hanna. She can't believe that Hanna questioned her about this. "Could easily is enough doubt to forbid Aria befriend with Jason DiLaurentis. I just try to protect her." Spencer said.

Hanna stared at Spencer. "You said the same thing when Emily went out with Toby. You gave her an earful. And right now you are the one that with him. Just pointing that out." Hanna turned to Emily. "And Em, you are the only one that trusts Toby when everybody isn't. Just put yourself in Aria's shoes. Oh wait, you've been there." Hanna said sarcastically.

"It is different, Han." Emily said.

"How is it any different? It is exactly the same thing. Well, at least Jason isn't the person of interest." Hanna said.

Spencer rolled her eyes on Hanna. "Why you took his side?"

"I didn't! Don't get me wrong. I think the guy is a creep. Hot, but still a creep." Hanna said. Hanna looked both Spencer and Emily. "But Aria likes him. So I took her side. I'm just trying to supportive and sensitive."

Spencer and Emily looked at each other. They know each other for so long that they didn't need to say the word to express how they feel. They just need to look at each other and understand. They didn't agree with Hanna thought. But they know Hanna is right about something. Aria likes Jason.

Suddenly the door is opened. Aria walked in and closes the door. "What are we doing in here so early in the morning?" Aria asked, looked at the others. "What? What is going on here?" Aria can feel the tense between the girls.

Spencer feels this isn't the right time to confront Aria again about Jason. "Strategy session." Spencer said. The girls rolled their eyes on Spencer. "We're gonna sneak into Garrett's house."

"What?" They all sync in shouts.

"Mike was done it before. I don't think it is that hard." Spencer said again.

"What are you trying to find in his house?" Hanna asked.

"Anything! Anything that can help us makes sense of this mess." Spencer said.

"He is a cop, Spence. If we get caught, he could throw us in jail, for real this time." Emily also said.

"So don't get caught." Spencer firmly said.

"You're out of your mind, Spence. You tell us to breaking into a cop's house." Hanna said.

Spencer looked at the others. "Garrett might be not A. But even he isn't A, we know that he somehow involved in this. I'm not gonna let him get away with it this time. I'm the one that in charge in my own life, not A. This is the only way we can protect the people we loves. We can't just do nothing and wait for another attack."

"Spencer is right." Aria said. The eyes are all on Aria now. "I'm tired of keep looking at my shoulders knowing that just a matter of time before A strikes again and ruin everything. I have enough problems already without A getting involve and mix up everything." She thinks about Mike's problem. Not to mention her problem with Ezra and Jason now.

Emily and Hanna looked at each other. They know Spencer and Aria already decided. They both sighed and nodded. They might not agree with them, but they are in this together. So if they are gonna break the law, they may as have do it together too.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Pretty little liars isn't mine.

* * *

><p>And the story continues…<p>

Not all four of them break into Garrett's house. Spencer and Emily will sneak into Garrett's apartment, while Hanna will wait on the getaway car. And Aria becomes their cover and stands in front of the elevator not far from Garrett's apartment door, pretend to wait for Garrett in case he suddenly come back.

The time has passed nearly ten minutes. There is no news from Spencer and Emily. Aria and Hanna keep talking at each other on the phone. They were worried. So Aria called Spencer and Emily again. Spencer is the one that picked up.

"Ten minutes had passed." Aria said.

"We haven't found anything." Spencer said.

"Maybe there is nothing there. You have to hurry up. He could come back any second." Aria said.

Spencer sighed. She knows Aria is right. It is too dangerous to stay there much longer. "Did you check his bedroom?"

Spencer looked at her surroundings. "There is no bedroom. In fact there is no room at all. It is just one big room. I hate bachelor's pad."

"Check his bed, then. If he is really hiding something, he will keep it close with him even in his sleep." Aria said again.

"Fine, we will check the bed for the last time." Spencer hung up the phone. Aria called Hanna to keep her update of the situation. A few seconds later Aria's phone buzzed again. She immediately picked up without looking at the screen, she though it is Spencer or Emily.

"Aria? Where are you?" It is Ella who called.

"Mom." Aria immediately remembers that she sneaked out the house last night and hasn't been home since that.

"I just about to call you for breakfast and you're not in your room. Where are you?" Ella asked.

"I'm so sorry, mom. I should've written a note." Aria's mind tries to find the right reason for her mom. "I went jogging this morning and relax in Emily's house."

"You went jogging?" Ella asked. There is question mark in her tone. Ella knows her daughter. Aria didn't do sport. It is Spencer and Emily thing.

"I have a lot in my mind. Spencer thought this could help." Aria knows that doesn't make sense. But she runs out of reasons.

Ella thinks about what Aria has been through last night. She may need a time out. "Okay. At least I know that you're safe. When are you gonna go home?" Ella asked again.

Aria is busy deal with her mom, she almost forgets about Spencer and Emily who are inside Garrett's house. "We already had been too long in here, Spence." Emily said.

Spencer looked at Emily. Spencer sighed. "Come on. We have to get out of here." Spencer said. Emily nodded.

Spencer is just about to walk out when she stumbled upon a cracked floorboard. "Spencer!" Emily immediately come to Spencer and helps her to get up. She can see the bruise at Spencer's knee. "Please tell me you can walk." Emily said with panic expression.

"I can. It is not a big deal." Spencer said. When she uses her hand as leverage, she can see the open cracked floorboard. "There is something beneath the floor." Spencer tries to cracked open the floorboard, but it didn't even shifted. Spencer took out the screwdriver that she brings from home and tries again.

Hanna already reached her limit. Spencer and Emily still inside the house, and she just saw Garrett just parked his cop car in front of the apartment, and Aria is busy talking on the phone. She has no way to inform Aria. She only can call Spencer. Emily is the one that picked up. "You have to get out of there. Garrett is outside."

"What?" Emily looked at Spencer that still busy pulled the floor board. "Spence, we have to go. Garrett is outside."

"Just a little bit more." Hanna can hear Spencer in the background.

"Kick her ass out if you have to. Get out from there!" Hanna said, panicked. Hanna turned on the car engine and drive to the back to pick up Spencer and Emily.

Aria still busy talking to Ella on the phone, so she didn't noticing Garrett already standing behind her. "Aria?" Aria turned around and saw Garrett. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom, I have to go. Talk to you later." Aria immediately hangs up and looked at Garrett. She is seriously doesn't have anything in her mind. She already prepared some excuse if Garrett comes home, but right now she panicked and can't remember anything. "I-"

Garrett stared at her with an angry expression. "What are you doing in my house, Aria?" Garrett asked again, pointed it with every word he said.

Aria knows she screwed. Garrett will found out. And then suddenly, she heard his voice. "Aria!" Aria looked at the corner of the street and saw Jason ran to them.

"Jason?" Garrett looked at Jason. "What are you two doing in here?"

Jason ignored Garrett and walked to Aria's side. "I told you. Why you didn't believe me?" Jason said to Aria. Aria can't help but confused. Jason turned to Garrett. "I'm so sorry, man. Aria asked me about the girls I was dated. If any of them are serious. I told her there is none, but she didn't believe me. She wanted to ask you herself, considering we used to hang out."

Aria looked at Jason. She feels so grateful right now. She never has anyone to really lean on. Yes, she had Ezra, or has. But she still has so many secret from him. But not with Jason. Jason already knows everything about her.

Garrett looked both Aria and Jason. "So you two are dating now?" Garrett asked.

Jason smiled at him. "You know it is bound to happen sooner or later." Aria immediately turned to Jason when he said that. She wants to know what Jason meant by that, but right now definitely not the right moment when Garrett Reynolds is standing in front of them. Jason turned back to Aria again. "Come on, don't bother him any longer." Jason slipped his hands on to Aria's waist to make them more believable couple.

Aria just about to step out with Jason, when she sees the door in Garrett's apartment opened and Spencer's head shows. Aria immediately turned back to Garrett. "You haven't answered the question." Aria said to Garrett. Jason looked at Aria and then he looked at Garrett's apartment door that opened with Spencer and Emily comes out from it. Spencer and Jason looked each other for a while before Emily pulled her out to the emergency stairs.

Garrett smirked. "Trust me. He only has eyes for one girl with pink hair. Even when he was high, he only called her name." Garrett said. Aria just tried to distract Garrett so Spencer and Emily can get out of there, but heard Garrett said that, she can help but blushed.

"Thanks, man." Jason smiled at Garrett and pulled Aria to walked into the elevator and leaving the scene. The two of them immediately walked to the corner of the street to rendezvous with the others.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Spencer quickly attacks Jason when she saw him.

"I just save your ass!" Jason doesn't feel intimidated by Spencer. "What were you thinking sneak into a cop's house? You're really out of your mind!" Jason said.

"That is none of your business." Spencer said back.

"If I wasn't there, he will definitely arrest you. Do you have a thing for police station?" Jason said sarcastically.

"I didn't ask for your help. And I'm not going to say thank you." Spencer stared at Jason.

"I didn't need you to thank me." Jason turned to Aria. "Just be careful."

Spencer looked both Jason and Aria. She knows what that looks mean. Jason is worried about Aria. "Unbelievable!" Spencer shouted. She looked at Aria. "You have two minutes." And then Spencer stepped into the car.

Emily just silently watched the scene between Jason and Spencer. She didn't say a word. "Thank you." Emily said to Jason. Jason looked at her and smiled, and then she followed Spencer and stepped into the car.

Aria pulled Jason away from the car so they can talk more privately. "How do you know we were here?" Aria asked.

"I saw you leaving from Spencer's house earlier. And I followed you." Jason looked at Aria. "You sneaked out on me." Jason said.

Aria coughed nervously. "I'm sorry. I should've left a note." Aria said. She braced herself to look into Jason's eyes. "But I don't know what to say. I definitely not planning what happened last night."

Jason sighed. "Look. I know that these whole things are really hard on you. You have a lot to deal with already without me and Ezra mixed in the middle of that." Aria just silently listened to Jason. She didn't know what to say to him. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me and has to avoid me. I can wait."

Aria looked Jason with her sad eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't know when I'll be ready to face this."

Jason shook his head in smile. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek. "I'm okay. Take as long as you need. I'll always be here."

Aria's eyes starts to well up. "I feel horrible."

"Don't. You are sixteen. Don't too hard on yourself. You know what I did when I was sixteen. You're doing okay." Jason smirked at her. Aria let out a little laugh. "You need time to figure it out. I understand."

Suddenly they heard the car horn honking. "I think the time is up." Jason smile at Aria.

"I'm so sorry about Spencer. She'll warm up." Aria said.

Jason smiled. "Don't worry about it. She just worried about you for hanging out with me." Jason said.

"I'll talk to her, I promise." Aria said. Jason just smiles. "I'll call." Aria said again. Now Jason's smile is widened. Aria smile back and walked to the car. Before she stepped into the car, she looked at Jason again. "Thank you, for saving our ass back there." Aria said.

Jason laughed. "Anytime." Jason said. Aria smiled and stepped into the car.

* * *

><p>When Aria stepped into the car, she car hear Spencer is talking to Emily. "Did you just thank him?"<p>

Emily rolled her eyes on Spencer. "I still don't trust him, no offense Aria." Emily said to Aria. Aria rolled her eyes on Emily. Of course it offense her. Emily turned to Spencer again. "But he did save us. We have no idea what will happened if Garrett caught us. He won't arrest us. He might kill us considering his history."

Hanna sighed. "What did you get from his house?"

"We get tapes." Spencer said.

Aria and Hanna immediately turned to both Spencer and Emily. They shared a meaningful looks with each other. They know what this mean. "Do you think –"

Aria doesn't have to finish her question. They all know. "We have to see it to be sure." Emily said.

"We can go to my house. My parents went to see Melissa today. They want to update her about my situation. So you know how long they will away." Spencer said. So Hanna drives to Spencer's house.

They are already in front of the Hastings a few minutes later. "I'll make sure that they already gone." Spencer is the first one that gets out from the car. She walked to the door. But she found somebody was waiting in front of the door. "Ezra?" Ezra Fitz turned around and sees Spencer. "What are you doing here?"

"I am looking for Aria. I've been calling her all night, but she hasn't answered me back. I just want to make sure that she is okay. That all of you are okay." Ezra said.

Spencer hasn't had the chance to answer him, when Aria, Hanna and Emily walked to them. "Ezra?" Aria widened her eyes. She hasn't prepared to see Ezra right now. She slept with Jason last night and just had a moment with him again not long ago. She hasn't think of Ezra for a while. So seeing him right now, surprise her. "What are you doing here?"

"Aria! I've been calling you all night. I'm worried." Ezra immediately ran to Aria.

"My phone died." Aria immediately said. That is best reason that she can give at the moment. Emily rolled her eyes on her. They just used their phone a lot today.

"You guys talk. We just gonna –" Hanna said.

"Yeah." Emily added. The three of them immediately came into the house and leave Aria and Ezra alone.

Ezra hold Aria's hand and guided her to the driveway. "What happened?" Ezra asked. Aria looked at him and gulped. She has no idea what to say to him right now. "I watched the news and then I went to the police station. I met Ella there. She thought that I'm with Spencer." Ezra rolled his eyes. "I saw how her reaction is. How disappointed she looks. I was afraid to make it worse if I told her the truth. So I left. But I waited in front of the police station all night." Aria widened her eyes. She knows what that meant. Ezra must've seen her and Jason that night. "You told me that Jason is just a friend of the family. That I have nothing to worry about."

"He is." Aria said.

"I never lie to you. So I expect you to do the same to me." Ezra said.

"Ezra –"

"Please don't treat me as an idiot." Ezra stared at Aria.

Aria knows that she has to tell him something. At least she owed him that. "You are right. Jason isn't just a friend of my family." Aria looked at Ezra. "He is my friend too." Aria said. Ezra just quiet and listened to what she said. "He is Ali's brother. We know each other since we were little. We grow up together. He knows me before you know me. He is my friend." Aria barely can hold her tears. She doesn't know why she wanted to cry right now. But she can't. She can't break down now. She'll lose Ezra.

But like he said, Ezra isn't an idiot. He can see it. "And what happened in the police station?" Ezra changes the topic.

"That is a long story." Aria said. She looked at the house and turned to him again. "I'll come by later and tell you everything. I have something to do right now."

Ezra just nodded in agreement. He doesn't say anything. He just pulled her on his embrace and hugs her tightly. Aria returned the hug. When she hugs him, she can see Jason pulled over on his driveway and looked at them. Without even thinking, she immediately pulled herself from Ezra. "I'll see you later." Aria just turned around and ran to the house, so she didn't see that Ezra notice Jason who walked into his house. He sighed, get into his car and drive away.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. So don't sue me.

Author's note: This is supposed to be the love story between Jason and Aria, so I'm sorry for the lack of suspense in this story. I'm not really sure how to write the suspense segment in this story so I don't really explore it very much. I just throw some suspense that connected to the drama that I was trying to write. Hope that you all still can enjoy it. Thanks.

* * *

><p>When Aria finally walked into Spencer's room, the tapes are scrambled in the floor already, with three of her best friend watched the television with a serious expression. "Did you found anything?" Aria asked.<p>

"Nothing so far." Hanna is the one that answered.

"These are all junks. These are just a bunch of tapes of girls in Rosewood." Spencer looked at Aria. "They've been busy." Spencer said sarcastically. Aria knows that Jason is the one that she meant.

"What happened with Ezra?" Emily asked.

Aria let out a big sigh. "He was there last night when we get out from the station." Aria said. They all know what she is trying to tell.

"He saw you and Jason?" Hanna asked. Aria nodded. "What do you say to him?"

"What can I say? I say that Jason is my friend." Aria said.

Emily and Spencer shook their head. "Have you thought about that?" Aria looked at Hanna. "Jason or Ezra?" Hanna didn't have to form the whole question, Aria gets it already.

"Please don't say Jason." Spencer said. Aria rolled her eyes on her.

"Hey guys." Emily breaks down the tension. The others immediately looked at her. Emily pointed the television. They can see in the screen that Ian and Garrett were arguing about something, but they can hear what they were argued about, because the distance of the video that was taken is too far. Ian and Garrett looked so tense with their argument. Even the girls can't hear it very clearly, but it looked like Garrett was upset about something and Ian tried to explained that thing to him.

"Jason, stop taping us!" Suddenly Garrett walked closer to the camera with an angry face.

The camera showed Jason's stoned face in the next frame. "Garrett is so mad. I'm so scared." Jason said with a mock expression, and then he laughed.

"He was stoned all the time." Spencer said, directly to Aria.

"He doesn't do that anymore." Aria said, defending him.

Spencer is just silent and back to watch the rest of the video. Jason's face still shows in the video and talking gibberish because how high he was. They can't even understand what he was talking about.

"This is a waste of time." Emily said.

"Stop talking." Spencer said. They all stop talking and looked at Spencer. "You guys hear that?" Spencer asked.

"Hear what?" Hanna asked.

"Even the video only shows Jason's face, we can hear Ian and Garrett argument in the background. But we can't hear it clearly because Jason keeps talking gibberish." Spencer said, looked at Aria again.

"Yeah, they still argue." Emily said and listened more intensely. "I think they said something about Ali." Emily looked at the girls. "We have to know what they were talking about."

"How? We can't hear anything." Aria said.

"But the only witness of this conversation is living next door." Spencer said. Spencer looked at Aria. "You have to talk to Jason."

Aria sighed. "I can't. I have to go meet Ezra." Aria looked at Spencer. "You go and talk to Jason. And please apologize for being rude."

"Tell me you aren't serious?" Spencer rolled her eyes on Aria.

"You need his help to explain this video. So you have to ask him nicely." Aria said with a satisfied smile in her face. "Keep me update. I will see you all later." Aria doesn't even turned around again and leave Spencer's house.

"She isn't serious about me has to play nice with Jason, right?" Spencer asked the others.

Hanna smirked and Emily shrugged. "We need to know. And you have to ask him. But considering how you treat him earlier, I doubt that he will tell you. So yes, you have to play nice." Hanna said.

"Fantastic." Spencer said, sarcastically.

* * *

><p>Aria stands in front of Ezra's apartment. She took a deep breath and knocks. Ezra immediately opens the door. He smiled to Aria and let her in. Ezra makes Aria a cup of tea and they sat next to each other on the couch.<p>

"You come here to talk, right? So talk." Ezra said, when Aria just quiet for a while.

"I don't know how to begin." Aria said. She sighed and tells the story to Ezra. Definitely not everything, because she can't tell him about A, so she tells him the same story that they told to the parents.

"Why Dr Sullivan played with you like that?" Ezra asked with furrow eyebrows.

Aria shrugged. "I have no idea. The police still can't find her. They didn't know where she is right now."

Ezra is silent for a while. Truthfully this isn't what he wants to know about. Ezra turned to Aria. "I told myself to let it go. Just ignore it. But I can't. I have to know. I can't do another one of this. Lie after lie. This is what happened with Jackie before. I wish we can be honest with each other." Ezra said. Aria knows exactly what he meant by that, but she still praying Ezra will say about something else. "You explained to me that Jason is a friend. But what I saw last night in front of the station and the fact that you two kissed, you two are more than friends." Ezra paused for a moment. "Aria, do you have feelings for Jason?"

And Aria couldn't hold it anymore. Her tears falls down to her cheek freely. "I'm so sorry, Ezra. I never wanted to hurt you. He is just – Jason."

Ezra sighed. Aria can see the disappointment in his eyes. "When it started?" Ezra braced himself to ask.

Aria looked at Ezra. She didn't want to tell this to him. But she knows that he wanted answer. He deserved an answer for everything that he had done for her. The least she could do is be honest with him. "Do you know that I used to have pink hair?"

"What?" Ezra rolled his eyes. He didn't know what it has to do with his question. But the fact that Aria used to have pink hair surprised him. "Really? Why?" He imagines what she looked like with her pink hair.

Aria let out a little laugh. She guessed what his reaction will be. "Everyone's reactions were the same as you. They all ask me why I did that. Jason is the only one that smiled at me. He didn't comment or asked anything at me. He just smiled. He never judged me."

Ezra understands now why Aria tells him that story. "You used to have a crush on him." Ezra said, more like a statement. "This is happened before we even met." Ezra said, come to realization why Aria answered his question with a story. Aria already had a feeling for Jason long before she met him.

"Yes." Aria confirmed it. "It feels weird to say it out loud. I never told anybody about this."

"Why?" Ezra is confused because she practically has no secret with the girls. They even know about him when he specifically told her not to tell anybody so he is confused why Aria keeps this from the others.

"Because he is Ali's brother." Ezra rolled her eyes. "He is Ali's – stoner older brother." Aria added.

"What?"

Aria can see the shock in Ezra's face. "You never heard of that? Everyone knows. Jason used to get high all the time. He was the black sheep of the family. Like me."

"Really? You were the black sheep of the family?" He thinks about Aria. How Byron and Ella treats her and the trouble that Mike is in right now. He can't picture her as the black sheep of the family. Her family seems perfect.

Aria smiles sadly. "You know me now. You don't know me back then. I had pink streaks in my hair. Alison DiLaurentis is my best friend. We are the mean girls at the school." Ezra widened his eyes. Aria saw that. "There are many things about me that you don't know about, Ezra. And I don't want you to know. Rosewood is a small town. Everyone knows what you did. And one you made a mistake, it will never be forgotten. They might not always bring it up, but they never forget. You are new. You don't know my mistakes. You don't know me. There are many things that I want to forget from the past. But Jason, he is the only thing that good from my past."

Ezra is almost sorry that he asks Aria about Jason. But he has to know. And now he knows how important Jason is for her. He questions himself. If he asks her the question that he wants to ask, is he going to lose her? But he has to ask her eventually sooner or later. "Is this mean that you want to be with him?"

Aria also knows that this question will be asked to her sooner or later. But she doesn't have the answer to that. Aria reached for Ezra's hand. "Ezra, I really do love you."

Ezra put his hand on top of Aria's hand. He looked at her deep in the eyes. "Then choose me." Ezra said. "You can have us both, Aria. You have to choose." Aria is just quietly stared at their joined hands. She didn't know what to say to him. "I love you, Aria. I know that you feel the same. This is just a bump in the road. We can get through this. The one thing that you have to do is choose me. Forget about Jason. I can do whatever you wanted me to do." Suddenly Ezra sat up. "Let's go to see your parents. Let's tell them about us." Ezra extends his hand to Aria.

Aria just silently looked at Ezra. How often she hoped to hear that words from Ezra the last few weeks. But right now she hoped that he isn't saying that. "We can't tell my parents right now." Aria said.

"Why? You wanted me to step up and tell them. Now I'm ready." Ezra said.

"But I'm not." Aria said softly. Ezra can hear it. He also knows what that means. She isn't sure that she wanted to be with him right now.

"Is this because of Jason?" Ezra bluntly asked. Aria can't say the truth to Ezra right now. How could she? She is only going to hurt him. But because she doesn't say anything, Ezra knows the answer. Ezra sat again next to her. "Why?" Ezra laughed sarcastically.

"I'm sorry." That is all Aria can say right now.

"Stop saying you're sorry and give me answer, Aria!" Ezra snapped.

"I'm so sorry." Aria can't blame him. He has every right to be angry right now.

Ezra leaned to the couch. "What happened with us? We are okay yesterday. And now – when did Jason become the huge rock in our relationship?" Aria knows better than to answer him. So she is just quiet. Ezra sighed. "You should go."

"Ezra –" Aria touched Ezra's arm.

Ezra turned to her and smiles sadly. "You have a choice to make. And clearly right now, you can't do it." Ezra put his arms on Aria's. "I'm giving you space. You know where to find me when you need me." Ezra leaned over to Aria and kisses her softly. Aria knows that is her cue to leave. So she sat up and walked out.

* * *

><p>From Ezra's apartment, Aria comes back to Spencer's. She called Ella and told her that she and the girls will spent the night at Spencer's because her parents was out of town. She just has too much on her plate right now.<p>

"How is it goes with Ezra?" Hanna asked. Emily looked busy watching the video but they know that she is listening too.

"Awful." Aria sighed.

"What happened?" Hanna asked again.

"He asked about Jason's stuff. And I have to tell him everything." Aria said.

"What? You tell him that you slept with Jason?" Emily isn't pretending to watch the video again and turned to her.

"Of course not! I'm not an idiot." Aria said. "I just told him about my feelings to Jason. After everything that he had done for me, the least that I could do is honest about my feelings."

"Aria." Suddenly Hanna's expression turned serious. "I know that you had a crush with Jason this whole time."

Aria and Emily looked at her. "How do you know?" Aria asked.

"That one time at Noel Kahn's party. Noel was talking to Jason. You keep looking at them. Ali thought you have a crush on Noel. But I know it was Jason. Because you are blushing when he came over even just to scold Ali." Hanna said.

Emily turned to Aria. Aria can see the judgment in Emily's eyes even she didn't say anything. "You should've told us."

"How could I? You knew Ali. You can imagine what she is going to do if she found out about that." Aria said.

"So you're in love with Jason DiLaurentis this whole time?" Emily shocked.

Aria isn't answering. "Ali is gone now." Hanna said, ignoring Emily's outburst. Aria turned to Hanna again. "You have a crush with Jason since forever. Now Ali is gone. There is no one standing between you and Jason, except Ezra. Aria, I know how you feel about Jason. You really like him a lot. You can't be together back then. But he is here now. I just don't get why you keep staying with Ezra when Jason is the one that you love. I just don't think it is fair for Ezra."

Aria looked at both of them. "He is the one thing that normal when I came back from Ireland." Aria said. "My dad had an affair and told me to keep it from my mom. He even shipped us all to Ireland for that. Ali went missing. And we were so far away from each other. Everyone knows what happened to Ali. They kept told me to be strong and others. I felt so overwhelm and got into bar that day. I met Ezra there. He didn't know me. I can be someone new. Clean slate." Aria's eyes started to well up. "He was there when you weren't." Aria finally said it.

Hanna and Emily looked at each other. Deep down, they feel terrible about what happened with them when Ali went missing. They supposed to be the best of friend and supported each other, but they only drifted apart from each other.

"It sounded that you are grateful that Ezra was there." Emily suddenly said.

"Of course I am." Aria said. "He might be the reason that I'm still sane after everything that happened."

"Grateful isn't love, Aria." Emily said again. Both Aria and Hanna looked at Emily. It never slipped in their mind that Emily can say that. "Don't get me wrong. I don't like Jason. I still don't trust him." Emily makes a statement. "But Hanna is right; I don't think it is fair for Ezra. You can't be with him when you aren't in love with him. You only feel grateful because he was there when you need someone. That isn't love, Aria. I think he proved more than enough that he loves you. I just feel bad for him."

Aria sighed and covers her face with her hands. "I know. I never meant to hurt him. And I don't want to keep hurting him. But I don't know what to do."

"You better figure it out soon, Aria. It won't end well for everyone. You have a choice to make." Emily said again.

Aria nodded slowly. "I just don't want to hurt anybody."

"That is the choice that you don't have. One of them will get hurt. You can't choose both of them." Emily said.

Aria sighed again. She looked at Emily. "If – I said if. If I choose Jason, will you approve it?"

Emily is just quietly looking at Aria for a moment. "This isn't about me. This isn't about Spencer and Hanna either." Emily added. "This is about you. It doesn't matter what I want. The important thing is what you want. Who you want to be with." Emily said. Hanna just smiled listened to Emily's words. She can feel that she soften to the fact that Aria has a crush on Jason long before she met Ezra.

"Thanks, Em. I really appreciated it." Aria smiled at her.

"Maybe you can talk to Jason." Hanna said.

Aria turned to Hanna. "Do you think it is a good idea?" Aria asked.

"I don't think you are confused about your feelings. You just need to convince yourself. That is why I think you better see Jason and talk to him." Hanna said.

"And while you at that, you can look how is Spencer doing over there. She is been gone a long time." Emily said, thinking about Spencer.

Spencer stands in front of Jason's house for ten minutes before finally she forced herself to knock. Jason widened his eyes when he sees Spencer stand in front of him. "What are you doing here? Want to yell at me some more?" Jason said sarcastically.

Spencer ignored his comment. "I need your help."

Jason rolled his eyes on her. "You've got to be kidding me, right? You just scold me earlier, and now you are asking for my help?"

Spencer groaned. She knows that Jason will say that to her. But she is Spencer Hastings. She stared at him. "It isn't just for me. Aria is involved in this too." Now Spencer has a secret weapon against Jason.

Jason sighed. Jason stepped aside and let Spencer in. "What do you need?" Jason asked immediately after he closed the door.

Spencer shows the tape to him. "We got this from Garrett's."

Jason shook his head. He really doesn't get these girls. How can they can be so fearless. "You are taking a big risk here. If he ever found out that you stole that, I can't even imagine what he would do." Jason said.

"We have no choice." Spencer said. Spencer looked at Jason. "You taped this video. Ian and Garrett were arguing. We can't hear clearly, but they were talking about Ali. We have to know what happened."

Jason takes the tape from Spencer and plays it in his video. He observed it for a little while. Spencer can see his furrow eyebrows when he watched the video. "Honestly I can't remember any of this." Jason said. "You can see that I was quite high." Jason gesturing the screen that shows him keep babbling. "I don't even remember saying all this stuff." Jason looked at Spencer. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."

"Not a thing?" Spencer asked one more time. Jason shook his head. She knows it quite a long shot considering how high Jason was at the time. "Well, let me know if you remember something? You should keep the tape." Spencer said.

Jason nodded. "I'll try to remember." Spencer smiled a little. She softens a bit after seeing how hard Jason was trying to help them. She is so rude to him earlier outside Garrett's apartment, but he still willing to help her for Aria. She knows at least his feeling to Aria is real.

"I'll be going now." Spencer said. Jason nodded again awkwardly. Spencer opened the door and found Aria is standing outside the door, ready to knock. "Aria."

"I'm just checking how you two are doing." Aria smirked at them.

"Don't worry. We haven't tried to rip out each other throat yet." Jason teased.

"Yeah, I've been very civil. You can ask him." Spencer also said. Aria just smiled and looked at Jason. Jason is also looking at her. Spencer is obviously uncomfortable standing between the two of them. "You two talk. I'll see later, Aria." Spencer walked really fast and leaves them both who walked in to the house.

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars.

* * *

><p>And pretty little liars continued…<p>

Jason just closed the door on their way in when Aria suddenly gasped. "I forgot to ask about the tape." Aria said to Jason.

"Yeah, Spencer told me about that." Jason has an apologetic expression on his face. "I was quite high at that time. I can't remember anything about that. I'm so sorry." Aria just about to interrupt him, but he talk again before Aria can opened her mouth, "But Spencer left the tape here. I will watch it again later. Maybe it will trigger something."

Aria smiled at him. "You don't have to do that, you know. You don't have to force yourself just to help us." Jason understands that Aria was referring for the recent event between him and Spencer.

Jason shook his head. "You're doing it for Ali too. I will help anyway that I can." Jason stated.

"Thanks." Aria said. Suddenly they heard a growl from Aria's stomach. She hasn't eaten anything since yesterday. She even forgets that she hasn't eaten anything.

"I guess you haven't had the chance to eat anything." Jason teased her.

"This is so embarrassing." Aria said with a blushed cheek.

Jason let out a little laugh. He reached for Aria's hand and guided her to the kitchen. "I bought some bagels earlier." Jason handed out a plate full of bagels in front of Aria. Aria immediately reached for one. She doesn't feel hungry earlier but when she sees some food, she just realized how hungry she is. "Do you want some milk with that?" Jason asked again. Aria just looked at him for a moment and nodded.

She even loves for the fact that Jason offers her milk instead of coffee like what Ezra always did. She drinks coffee, sometimes. But she is just sixteen. She doesn't really drinks coffee that much, but Ezra is a grown up. He only has coffee in his apartment, so she settled for that. She felt so normal right now with Jason. She feels sixteen. And she loves the feeling of it.

Aria is sitting on the kitchen stand with a bagel in her hand. And Jason is standing in front of her, watching her with a smile in his face. He is just enjoying the moment when reality kick back in. He remembers their encounter earlier.

"I saw you earlier, with Ezra." Jason said, slowly.

Aria raised her head and looked at him. "Yeah, about that –" Aria is just about to explain it when Jason interrupted her.

"I'm not suggesting anything." Jason said quickly. "I told you. I will wait. I just – I saw your expression earlier. So I was wondering if everything is okay. If you are okay." Jason said again.

Aria smiled at him. She felt so moved with Jason's reaction. He just saw her hugged with Ezra earlier, and all he asked is if she is okay. "Ezra asked me about you." Aria tells him.

"Oh. What did you tell him?" Jason asked. Even he acted like he cool with it, it doesn't change the feel in his stomach.

"I can't just lie to him. So I told him the truth. I told him everything." Aria said. Jason widened his eyes. Aria knows he is wondering if she told Ezra about their sexual activity. "Not about the last night part." Aria quickly said. "I just told him about how I feel about you." Aria added.

"And? What happened?"

"He asked me to choose between you and him. I told him I can't. So he gives me space until I can figure it out who I want to be with." Aria said.

Jason was quiet for a moment. "He sounds like a really good guy."

"He is." Aria said softly. Jason turned to Aria and saw her sad looks. He understands what Aria is feeling right now. He never wanted Aria to feel like right now. And there is something that he can do about it.

Jason reached out for Aria's hand. Aria turned to him. "It will be so hard now, that I knew how you feel about me. What kind of future that we can have. But I can be just your friend, Aria. I'll always be there for you. I don't want to see you troubled. I don't want to see you unhappy." Jason squeezed her hand. "I'll be okay." Jason forces a smile in his face.

Aria understands what Jason was trying to say. "I don't want to lose you." Aria said softly. Aria is quite surprised of how well Jason knew her. He knows that she never going to choose him over Ezra Fitz, she just don't know how to do it.

"And you won't!" Jason answered immediately. "I'm still going to be here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be there for you, even just as a friend status. I love you, Aria. I wanted you to be happy, even it wasn't with me."

Aria's eyes started to well up. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey." Jason shifted closer to Aria. Aria raised her head and looked into Jason's brown eyes. "Don't be sorry. There is nothing that you have to be sorry about. Now I know that you love me back, I'm thankful for that." Jason smiled. "We're gonna be okay." Jason said again.

Somehow, Aria doubted him. She isn't gonna be okay. How can she be okay when she had to let Jason go? She can't make up her mind. She feels so broken right now. But she is not brave enough to choose Jason over Ezra. She isn't brave enough to hurt Ezra. The kind and gentle Ezra Fitz. Ezra loves her a lot. And she loves him back. But why her heart is aching so badly?

Aria walked back into Spencer's house. When the girls looked at her, the first thing that they noticed is her puffy eyes. "Aria, what happened?" Spencer immediately runs to Aria.

Aria forced a little smile in her face. "Jason and I just broke it off –whatever this is."

"What?" They all widened their eyes. The last time they saw her, she hasn't make up her mind. And they were sure that Aria was in love with Jason.

"I'm gonna kill him." Spencer immediately walked to the door with an angry expression.

Aria immediately run to her and stop her. "No, Spence. Please don't make it worse than it already is."

Spencer turned to Aria. "I'm gonna kick his ass for hurting you. I can't believe that I thought he could be a decent guy. I thought his feeling to you is real."

"It is." Aria said. They all are looking at her. "He doesn't want to see me troubled over this. He knows how hard it is for me to choose between him and Ezra. And I can't choose him over Ezra. I can't hurt Ezra. Jason just wanted me to be happy."

They all realized that it is mean Jason is stepping out from the competition. "Are you? Happy?" Hanna asked bluntly to Aria. Hanna glared at Aria. Aria clearly isn't happy. Her eyes are puffy because of too much crying, and she kept forced a smile on to her face.

"I will be. Ezra is a nice guy." Aria said softly. But none of them believe her. How can they believe her when they know Aria is in love with Jason?

* * *

><p>A month has passed since the girls were brought in to the police station. The situation had been calm lately. Sure, they haven't found Dr Sullivan yet, but A hasn't contacted them again since that night. They are confused, but took it for granted. They obviously don't miss it. Spencer and Toby are back together for good, and they never been happier. Even Veronica and Peter Hastings invited Toby sometimes for dinner. Life has never been this good for Spencer.<p>

Caleb already went back to California to his mother's home, but he called Hanna every night. They already made a plan for Hanna to enroll in university at California, so they don't have to lives apart anymore. Ashley and Tom already gave their permission. In fact, they were seriously considering to joined Hanna and move to California.

Even Emily's life is getting better. The scout from Danby University still offered her the scholarship even she hasn't swim for months. The day when she got the news, she went to see Samara and tell her about this. Samara was excited for her. Emily told her the explanation about Zoey without even bring A up. Samara accepted her explanation and now they are started going out again. She realized now that her relationship with Maya is over. She just needed closure with her. Now she and Maya still friends.

Emily and Hanna are walking together on the school corridor. They just finished their first class. "Have you seen Aria this morning?" Hanna asked Emily. Emily shook her head. "What do you think about how Aria is doing lately?" Hanna asked again.

Emily sighed. She thinks about Aria lately. It isn't a great memory to remember. "She is heartbroken. She needs time." Emily said.

"Exactly. She doesn't have to feel heartbroken if she chooses Jason." Hanna said.

Emily stopped walking and looked at Hanna. "What is the deal between you and Jason? Why you keep talking about him?" Emily asked.

Hanna shrugged. "No reason." Hanna started to walk again. Emily caught up with her. "I just think what the best for Aria. I just wanted her to be happy." Hanna stared at Emily. "She isn't happy." Emily doesn't have to say anything. She is agreeing with Hanna. Aria isn't happy. "Alison wouldn't approve of Fitz." Hanna said again.

"What?"

"Think about it. If she still alive, she wouldn't approve Aria with Fitz." Hanna said.

Emily smiled. "Yep, she wouldn't."

"But she would approve Aria and Jason." Hanna said again.

Emily nodded in agreement. "She would tease them all the time. But she would be happy for them."

Suddenly thinking about Ali, make their chests feel so heavy. "I miss her." Hanna said softly.

"Me too." Emily said back.

"She might be a bitch. But she was our best friend. She doesn't have the nicest approaches but in the end, she was doing it for our own good." Hanna remembering Ali's sharp comment if she ate cakes. Ali just wanted her to commit with her diet.

"She knows I'm gay." Emily suddenly said.

"What?" Hanna widened her eyes. "You told her but not us."

"I didn't tell her." Emily explained.

"So how can she know?" Hanna asked.

Emily smiled. "She is Alison DiLaurentis." To other people, it doesn't mean anything, but the four of them knows what that mean. Hanna also smiled. "We kissed." Emily said again.

Hanna glared at her. "Really?" Emily nodded in smile. "But she is straight. I know that for a fact. And she was dating Ian, for God sakes."

"She wasn't gay. I know that." Emily said. "I used to think that she was treating me as a toy. But she never tells anybody about me."

"That was Alison. She knows all our secrets. But she never tells anyone. She just wanted us to turn back to her about that secret because she is the only one that knows." Hanna said.

Emily flinched when Hanna said that. She just realized something. "She does know all of our secrets. What if she told someone about that?"

Hanna understands what Emily is getting at. "Are you suggesting that Ali knew A?"

"It makes sense. We never told anyone about our secrets. Alison is the only one that knew. But she is dead. Somebody must know our secrets. Ali must be the one that told them." Emily said.

Emily's words did make sense. "We need to find Spencer and Aria." Hanna said.

They are just turned around to look for Spencer and Aria when they bumped to Ella Montgomery. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Montgomery." Emily said to her. Ella just smiled.

"Are you two looking for Aria?"

"Yes. We haven't seen her all morning." Hanna said.

"She isn't coming to school today. She is sick." Ella explained.

"Oh. Is she okay? Is it bad?" Emily asked.

"No, I think it is just flu. She'll be okay in few days." Ella said. She looked at both girls. She has something in her mind. And both of the girls in front of her now are her daughter's best of friends. Who can give her answer better than her best friends. "I have something that I've been meaning to ask you." Emily and Hanna looked at each other. "Aria and Jason, are they fighting or something?"

They looked at each other again. Their eyes speak to each other. None of them wants to answer that question. They didn't even know how to answer that. "Why did you think so, Mrs. Montgomery?" Hanna asked, carefully.

"It just Aria hasn't been sleeping or eating. She seems like she is wallowing. I am worried about her. She seems really like Jason. I never saw her like this. Are they broke up?" Ella asked again.

"No, of course not. They are – soul mate." Hanna immediately said. Hanna just said the first thing that crosses her mind. She can feel Emily's glare at her. "They are just having some problems. It is nothing serious. They are working on it." Hanna said again.

"Can we see Aria?" Emily immediately interrupted Hanna before she can say another word.

Ella shifted her attention to Emily. "Sure. Of course you can see her. She is home alone." Ella said.

"We'll see you later then, Mrs. Montgomery." Emily immediately grabbed Hanna's arm and dragged her passed the school corridor. "Are you out of your mind? Soul mate? Working on it?" Emily shouts at Hanna when she was sure Ella is already out of ears reach.

"She can't know that Aria and Jason broke up. She will get suspicious again." Hanna tried to justify what she did.

Emily narrows her eyes on Hanna. "They didn't break up. They never had been together at the first place." Emily said.

Hanna raised her eyebrows. "You know what I meant. What am I supposed to say?"

"Not soul mate and working it out." Emily sighed. "Come on. We're gonna be late." Emily pulled Hanna's arm.

"You said we're gonna see Aria? She was alone at home." Hanna protested.

"We will see her after school." Emily said.

Hanna put her smirk on her face. "How about we skip class and see her right now?"

Emily shook her head. "Why are you always about skipping class?"

"What can I say? It is already run in my blood." Hanna smirked.

Emily sighed again. "Come on, Hanna." Emily pulled Hanna's arm again to the class. Hanna was grunting but she followed her.

* * *

><p>Hanna and Emily told Spencer the news about Aria being sick. So right now, they are all standing outside Aria's house. Spencer knocked the door. The door opened after a few seconds.<p>

Aria is the one that opened the door. "What are you guys doing here?" Aria asked. There is a surprise looks in her face.

"Your mom said you are sick?" There is a question in Spencer's tone. Aria doesn't look sick right now. Her cheek is blushing. She seems more cheerful.

"I feel better." Aria said. Aria stepped aside to let the others come in.

Emily handed Aria the plastic bag that she was carrying. "We brought you soup from Andrea's. You should eat it when it still warm." Emily said.

Hanna observed the living room. There is also one plastic bag with Andrea's brand on it, and one bowl of soup on the table. "Is your mom home already? I could swear that I saw her still grading in her classroom when we leave the school."

Aria knows that Hanna was talking about the soup on the table. "It isn't from my mom. It is –"

Aria hasn't finished explained it to the others, when they heard a voice coming from the kitchen. "Aria, could you help me out here? It wouldn't turn on."

They all recognize the voice. "Jason is here?" Spencer glared at Aria.

"I didn't ask him to come. My mom told him that I'm sick. He is just coming to see me. There is nothing else." Aria tried to explain.

"Aria –" Jason walked in to the living room and see the girls. "Oh. You guys here already." Jason said. Jason knows that sooner or later the girls will come and see Aria. He just don't expected them to be here this fast. "I was trying to make tea but the stove wouldn't turn on." Jason explained. But none of them say anything. There is a silent awkward. "Maybe I should head out." Jason turned to Aria. "Don't forget to finish your soup." Aria nodded in disappointed expression. Jason looked at the other girls. "I brought some muffins along with the soup too; you can enjoy it while you hang out." Jason pointed to the big bag on the table.

"Nonsense. How can we finish that by ourselves? We're girls, you know. These muffins are all fats." Hanna suddenly talked. "There are plenty for all of us. You can hang out here with us. We don't bite." She can feel Emily and Spencer's eyes are glaring at her. But she could care less. "I will put the muffins on the plate." Hanna grabs the muffin bag and ready to walk to the kitchen.

"I'll help you." Aria said.

Hanna turned to Aria. "No. You are the patient. Just stay here and company your guest." Hanna said, took a glance at Jason.

"I'll help her." Emily followed her.

"I will make that tea." Spencer looked at Jason and walked in to the kitchen and following the others.

Jason turned to Aria with a confused expression. She knows what Jason was thinking about. "They are trying really hard. Bear for a little while?" Aria asked.

Jason smiled and nodded. He took that bowl of soup on the table and handed out to Aria. "You can finish this while we're waiting." Aria nodded and sat next to Jason. They didn't say anything or do anything; they are just enjoying each other company.

* * *

><p>"Now we have to hang out with Jason?" Emily immediately shouted at Hanna with her whispered voice.<p>

Hanna looked at Emily and Spencer. "You see her. Aria is happy. I don't know about you guys, but I haven't seen her so happy this past few weeks." Hanna whispered back to Emily.

Emily and Spencer exchange glance with each other. Honestly, hanging out with Jason is the last thing that they want to do right now. But they know Hanna is right. Aria is happy now. The least that they could do is let her feel like this for a while.

Emily sighed. Hanna knows that a sign that she isn't agree to do this but she will do it. Hanna turned to Spencer. "I won't serve him." Spencer grunts. Hanna smiled.

That afternoon turned out quite good, in fact. Spencer and Emily actually have a great time with Jason. They never think that they will enjoy spending time with Jason. But Jason is quite charming with his backpacking stories when he dropped out from college. Spencer and Emily were fascinating with his stories. Hanna doesn't understand most of it. And Aria just happy their friends can get along well with Jason.

They are really enjoying each other company, so they almost jumped when they heard the bell. "It is probably just my mom. She often forgot her keys." Aria said. Aria sat up and walked out from the room to open the door. She didn't even peek outside to see who it is. So she is so shocked when she opened the door and found her still boyfriend stand in front of her. "Ezra." The first response from Aria when she sees Ezra is blocking the door.

Ezra smiled to see Aria and kiss her cheek briefly. "Your dad has an important meeting with the faculty, so he asked my help to deliver this to you. Not that I will mind without he asked."

Aria sees the plastic bag from Andrea's in his hand. She was shocked how all of them not seeing each other when everyone were coming to Andrea's.

Ezra stared at Aria. "So your dad said you have flu."

Aria coughs nervously. "It is not a big deal. I feel better already." Aria said, quickly.

"Well, your mom already buys the soup from Andrea's too. I guess you don't need this anymore." Ezra said. Even Aria was blocking the door, but with her small figure, she barely blocking anything. Ezra still could see inside the house and notice the bowl of soup.

Aria doesn't say anything, but her tense body language attracts Ezra's attention. "What's wrong? You don't look too good." Ezra said. He raised his hand and touch Aria's forehead. "No fever. Are you feeling okay? You look pale."

"I'm fine. I just need to lie down for a while." Aria said. She was hoping by saying that, Ezra will get the hint and go away. Suddenly Aria heard the telephone rings. She knows what is going to happen soon. So she just can sigh and touch her forehead.

"Aria, there is a call for you." Jason walked in to the living room, and Ezra could see him. Aria doesn't have to look Ezra expression; she can feel the tension in the room. Aria turned to Jason. He stopped walking and stays where he is. Aria sighed and turned back to Ezra. Sooner or later she has to face him eventually.

"Why is he doing in here?" Ezra asked Aria. He doesn't raise his tone but she can see the anger in his face, and he is eyeing Jason like a hawk.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I heard Aria is sick. I just delivered soup for her." Jason tried to explain to Ezra.

Ezra looked at Aria again. He didn't have to say anything on his mind, Aria knows he thinking about that soup. "It is just a soup. He is a friend." Aria whispered so only Ezra can hear her.

"You lie to me." Ezra said flatly.

"I didn't." Aria protested. "You are the one decided that it is from my mom, I didn't say anything."

"You are seriously going to use technicality as an excuse? You voluntarily hide this from me." Ezra said. Aria can't say anything anymore, because it is the truth. She was hiding the fact that Jason is here from Ezra.

"There is nothing going on. I just bring soup for her." Jason is also trying to help Aria explaining the situation to Ezra.

Ezra turned to Jason. "Is that what you always do? Bringing soup to other people's girlfriend?"

"Ezra, nothing happened." Aria said again .

"Hey, what are you two doing? The caller already hangs up." They heard Spencer's voice that getting closer. They are walking to the living room.

"Jason, you haven't finished your story about that –" Hanna hasn't had the chance to finish her words. Spencer, Emily and Hanna walked into the room and notice Ezra is standing in the door. Their expressions are the same as Jason when he entered the room. "Ezra."

"It's not just the two of them here. We're hanging out together." Emily tries to ease the situation. They all know how bad this is.

As like the situation isn't bad enough, Ella come home. "Ezra? What are you doing here?" The situation is already uncontrollable. Aria stepped away from the door to let Ella and Ezra walked in.

Ella looked at Ezra, confusedly. They haven't talked again since that day when the girls were arrested. And it looked clearly that Ella is still angry with Ezra. Her expression get tenser when she saw Spencer is on the room too.

Aria, Spencer and Ezra knows what is on Ella's mind. "Byron stuck on the faculty meeting. He might have to stay there a while. So he asked my help to deliver soup for Aria. I heard she is sick." Ezra immediately explained it to Ella before she gets the wrong idea.

Ella is suspicious for Ezra's reason. But it does make sense. So she has to accept it. "I brought food for lunch." Ella said to the girls. That is when she notice Jason is on the room too. "Jason, you are here too?"

"I also am bringing soup for Aria." Jason said, gesturing the bowl of soup on the table.

"How thoughtful of you. Thank you for taking care of Aria." Ella praised him. Aria immediately looked at Ezra. He widened his eyes out of surprise. "Let's dig in, then." Ella said, gesturing the bag that she was carrying. Ella turned to Ezra again. "Do you want to join us for lunch?" Even Ella asked him, but she just asked him out of courtesy.

Ezra can see that Ella didn't really wish him to join them. And he took the hint. "Thank you for the offer, but I have to pass. I have somewhere I have to be right now." Ezra said. He looked at everyone. "I'll see you next time." Ezra is turned around and walked away.

Aria immediately follows behind him. "I'll send him out. You guys can just start to eat." Aria closed the door behind her and chased Ezra. "Ezra!"

Ezra turns abruptly to look at her, eyebrows raised. "Your mom likes him so much."

"She thinks he is my boyfriend." Aria attempts to explain. "I can't really tell her about you. Can't I? He is just an excuse."

Ezra looked at Aria with a hurt looks. "You said that it is over with Jason. You chose me." Ezra reminded Aria of what she said to him a month ago.

"I love you. You know that." Aria said. Aria is taking a step towards him and reaching out a little. She can't explain anything to Ezra right now. She knows that there are no reasons that can justified this situation.

"But you love him more." Ezra said softly. Aria stared at Ezra. "You can lie to me. You can lie to everyone. But you have to be honest with yourself. You love Jason. It isn't just some high school crush. It is real, the feelings that you have for him. That is why you can't really stay away from him." Ezra scoffed. "You can't tell your mom about us, but you can tell her about Jason. Your friends can hang out with him. You never even invited me to hang out with your friends." Ezra let out a dry laugh.

"I'm so sorry, Ezra."

Ezra smiled awkwardly. "None of this is your faults, Aria. This is all on me. I should know better. You are just sixteen. I'm the one that put you through this. You deserved to have someone that can be with you in public." Ezra looked at Aria. "Why we can't be seen in public? Because we did something wrong. We can be self righteous and said that we didn't do anything wrong. But this is wrong. That is why we hide it from other people."

Aria smiles hesitantly, uncomfortably, trying to keep herself from crying, even though tears already blur her vision. Aria is trying her best to keep her breathing steady, but she gets choked up anyway. She swallows over the lump in her throat that makes it hard to breathe or say a word. "You're the best thing that is ever happened to me for a long time." Aria whispers breathlessly, subtly rubbing her wet eyes with the backs of fingers and hoping he doesn't notice.

"When Jason isn't around." Ezra finished her speech. Aria raised her head and looked into Ezra's eyes. "Just admit it, Aria. You love him. You have loved him for a long time, even before you met me. And it doesn't change even though we have met."

Aria can't hold off her tears anymore. So she let it flow freely on her cheek. She can feel that it is over between her and Ezra right now. She can't just pretend like nothing happened anymore. What Ezra said about her and Jason, it is all true. She can't run away from the truth anymore. It is the time she has to face it.

"I really did love you." Aria said.

Ezra smiles genuinely. "I know." Ezra raised his hand and pulled Aria into his embrace. "And I love you too. This is the first time I've been happy since Jackie. And I thanked you for every moment of it. I didn't regret anything, Aria. I was happy. You might love us both, but you know who own your heart."

Aria tighter her hugs to Ezra for a while and then she pulled away. "You deserved someone that wouldn't hurt you." Ezra nodded in smile. "You deserved someone that you can take in public." Ezra nodded again. "You deserved someone that doesn't in love with someone else." Aria couldn't hold her sobbing anymore. "You deserved to be happy." She felt really guilty to Ezra. But she couldn't feel more relive than right now.

Ezra pulled Aria into his embrace again for a while before he pulled away. He looked at her straight in the eyes and wipes her tears with his thumb. "You deserved to be happy too. I can't make you happy, not anymore. I might not like him a lot right now, but I know that he can make you happy. I can see how much he cares about you." Aria couldn't say anything. She just can sob.

Jason heard her sob and walked to them. He followed them after Aria is gone for a lot longer than he expected. He is worry about her. And heard Aria's sob, he gets the wrong idea. "I realized how it is seems earlier, but it doesn't like it seems. None of this is Aria's fault. I am the one that come here and brought her soup. Please don't blame her. She didn't do anything." Jason saw how sad Aria looks right now. He can't do anything but trying to explain thing to Ezra.

Ezra walked past Aria and stand face to face with Jason. Aria stops crying and looked at both of them. Ezra raised his hand and punch Jason in the face. Jason was fallen to the ground. Aria gasped but doesn't move from where she stands. "It's for stealing my girlfriend." Ezra said. Ezra stepped closer to Jason and extends his arm. Jason took his arm and stand up. He has no right to punch back after what he did so he can only accept it. Ezra looked at Jason. "She was my girlfriend. Even though she was yours before, but she was mine after. And you steal her back."

Jason rolled his eyes because of confused. "She chose you." Jason reminds him.

"But you are the one that she loves." Ezra stated. "Take care of her. Don't you ever hurt her! You have to make her happy. She deserved to be happy." He took a glance to Aria when he said it. Ezra turned to Jason again. Jason knows what Ezra meant and he is waiting on his response. He nodded. Ezra smiled and turned to Aria who is starting to cry again. "Please stop crying." Ezra cupped Aria's face in his hands. "I let you go so you can be happy, with Jason. That is why you have to smile so I know that I made the right choice."But Aria can't bring herself to smile right now. Not when Ezra's face is in front of her. "I'll be okay. We can still be friends, right?" Aria immediately nodded in agreement.

"Of course."

"Unless you'll enroll in Hollis and I'll be your teacher again." Aria let out a small laugh. Ezra smile because seeing Aria's laugh. "That's what I'm talking about." Ezra commented on her laugh. Aria stopped laughing and looked at Ezra. "Goodbye, Aria."

Aria knows that Ezra is saying goodbye to their relationship. Aria nodded and throws her arms around Ezra to hug him one last time. "Thank you, for everything." Aria whispered in Ezra's ear then she pulled away to looked at him again. Ezra nodded and smiled at her. He leaned over and planted a sweet kiss on her forehead. After that he walked away. He gets into his car and drive away without looking back.

Aria is standing there for a while and looking at the empty space. Jason walked closer to Aria and put his hands on her shoulders. Aria turned around and faces him. When she sees Jason in front of her, she immediately breaks down in tears again. Jason pulled her in his embrace and hugs her tightly. He just let her cry until she calms down. He just stands there with his arms around her.

After a few minutes Aria finally calmed herself. She pulled away from Jason and looked at him with her puffy eyes. Jason let out a small laugh when he saw her. "Your mom will kick my ass." Jason said. Aria immediately wiped her tears with her hands. Jason also helps wiped her tears with his hands. "Just say to her that we had working it out." Aria rolled her eyes. "Your mom thinks that we're dating and we're fighting."

Aria could feel her face is hot and blushed. "I can explain that." She never exactly tells Jason that her mom thinks that they are dating.

Jason just laughs out of amusement. "I don't mind. Obviously." Jason said. He extends his hand to Aria. Aria took his hand in hers. And they are walked back into the house with their joined hands.

* * *

><p>Still to be continued...<p>

Thanks for reading it ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars, so don't sue me!

* * *

><p>Author's note : Thank you all for reading this. I was very busy at the moment to update this story, but i promise I wasn't abandoning it, because I still have a lot of idea to share.. :D<p>

So excited about that episode of PLL tonight. But unfortunately no more Jaria. Jason isn't even around. So this story is just to satisfied my own addiction to this couple. :D enjoy!

* * *

><p>The girls are continued their hang out session at Aria's room, because it is more private and they have a lot to talk about.<p>

"So it is really over between you and Mr. Fitz?" Emily asked. Hanna rolled her eyes when Emily said Mr. Fitz.

"I think we have to call him Mr. Fitz now that his relationship with Aria is over. He is our ex teacher now." Hanna said. Hanna turned to Aria. "So it is official between you and Jason now?"

"Hanna!" Spencer nudges Hanna.

"Let her asked, Spence. It has been on the edge of her tongue since we saw them walked in with their join hands." Emily said. She is quite curious herself too.

Hanna nodded in agreement with her satisfied smirk because Emily supports her too. She turned to Aria again, waiting for her answer. Aria nodded. "I guess so." Aria looked at the girls. "But we're taking it slow." Aria added. "Jason will take me out on out first date tomorrow." Aria said.

Hanna just about to ask something again to Aria, but Spencer opened her mouth first. "The date is tomorrow. We can talk about it tomorrow." It isn't because Spencer isn't happy that Aria is with Jason now. She may not really fond of the guy yet, but she knows that Jason really is love Aria so much. So she is willing to give him a chance. "We have to talk about the urgent matter." Since Emily and Hanna talked to her about their realization, Spencer couldn't stop thinks about it. Emily's theory is making sense. And this is the first time they have new clue since they are broke into Garrett's apartment. Jason still doesn't remember anything.

Aria raised her eyebrows. She is the only one that they haven't told about this. And earlier with all the drama that happened, they couldn't really talk about this with Aria. "Emily has a theory." Spencer said.

Emily turned to Aria and tells her everything. "Seriously? You really thinks that Ali knows A?" Aria asked with a shock expression.

"She might not realized that he is A. But she knows him. That is the only thing that makes sense why A could knows all of our secrets. Ali is the only one that knows." Hanna said.

Aria thinks about it for a moment. Emily's theory did make sense in her mind. This is the one time that they can make sense something about A. Suddenly it hits her. "Ian!" Aria shouted. The others looked at her. "She dated him. It makes sense that she told him everything."

"But Ian is dead. There is no way that he is A." Spencer said.

Hanna thinks about Ian. Ian is the only one that stands out for their suspect. "Then Ian must have told someone else."

"Melissa." Emily suddenly said.

"What?" Spencer immediately turned to Emily with her widened eyes. She can't believe that Emily even considering that.

"Think about it, Spence. She was with him that time. They were broke up when Ali went missing. And they got back together again not long after we started receiving those texts from A." Emily said.

Spencer glared at Emily. "You can't be serious about this. She is my sister."

"I'm not saying that Emily is right. But we should consider that. What Emily said is make sense." Hanna also said.

"You all are out your minds. My sister isn't A! She can't be. I'm not going to stay here and listening to this nonsense." Spencer reached for her bag and just walked away.

They all are looking at each other. "I feel horrible." Emily said.

"You should be. It's her sister." Aria said.

Hanna nodded in agreement. "So we have to do this without Spencer then."

Aria nodded. "What?" Emily is the only one that confused.

"We're agreeing with you that there is chance that Melissa is involved in this. Even it is the slightest chance; we have to checks it out." Aria said again.

Emily glared at Aria. "Why are you doesn't say anything earlier?"

"And up against Spencer?" Aria teased her.

Emily sighed. "So what is the plan? Spencer is Melissa's sister. Without her help, it is quite difficult to found something."

"We should at least try is first." Aria said.

"We should start with the barn. They lived there." Hanna said. They all nodded. They don't want to do this. Do something behind Spencer's back. Spencer is their best friend too. But they know Spencer would never do this. And they quite sure that Melissa is involved in this.

* * *

><p>Spencer heard the knock on the door. She immediately sat up from the couch and opened the door. She found her best friends standing in front of her. Actually Spencer hasn't even go upstairs since she went home. She just waiting on the living room for her friends to come apologized.<p>

Spencer looked at her best friends. "I don't hear the sorry word." Spencer said.

Aria stepped closer to Spencer. "You know we're sorry, Spence."

"We're out of line. We shouldn't draw into conclusion that fast. She is your sister." Emily added.

"We won't bring it up over again." Hanna also said.

Spencer draws a smile in her face. "Apology accepted. Come on in. We still have a lot to talk through."

Spencer brought the girls in her room, because it is more comfortable there even though there is no person in the house right now. Veronica and Peter Hastings are still visiting Melissa.

"Jason hasn't remembered anything else?" Spencer turned to Aria.

Aria shrugged. "He hasn't told me anything else. It is a bit of long shot, Spence. He was high at the moment. The possibility of him remembering something from that night is similar to none." Aria said to Spencer.

Hanna nodded. "Aria is right, Spence. I don't think Jason can remember anything else. So we have to find the next clue from somewhere else."

Spencer already knows the girls too well. The girls are telling her something behind their words. She is just about to ask them again about that when she noticed something. "Where is Emily?"

Aria and Hanna looked at each other. Spencer caught that. It confirms her suspicions. "She went to the toilet. She tells us earlier." Aria immediately reminds her before Spencer suspects anything.

Spencer rolled her eyes on Aria. "You gotta be kidding me!" Spencer walked out the room. Hanna and Aria keeps shouting her name and followed behind her.

Spencer already figures out what the girls are planning. They know each other too well. Spencer walked straightly to the barn. As soon as she opened the barn, she saw Emily was looking at her with her surprise expression. "Spencer!"

"You really think that I wouldn't find out? I can't believe you." Spencer said to Emily. And she looked at both Aria and Hanna too.

"We can explain it, Spence." Hanna was trying to explain. But she doubts there are explanations in the world that can get them out from this situation.

"She is your sister, Spence." Emily opened her mouth.

Spencer raised her eyebrows and stepped closer to Emily. "You still remember that?" Spencer said sarcastically.

Emily ignored Spencer's comment and says again, "Maybe because she is your sister, you can't look this through."

Spencer stared at Emily. "Because she is my sister, I know that she didn't do this. She would never hurt me. I know our relationship isn't exactly perfect but I know her. She wouldn't do that do me." Spencer said.

"Maybe you don't know her well enough." Emily said again.

"What do you mean by that?"

Emily handed a tore photograph to Spencer. "I found this." Emily said.

Spencer looked at the photo. It is their family photo from two years ago, when Melissa graduated from university. But the photo isn't whole anymore. Spencer's figure has been torn off from the photo. Spencer looked at the others. "She was angry at me. She thought I played her about Ian. A set me up, remember? It is understandable if she was still angry." Spencer was trying to finds reason behind this.

"I have another one." Emily said again. Now she handed Spencer one book.

"You looked through my sister's diary?" Spencer said with a surprise tone.

"You want to read this." Emily said again.

Actually Spencer is reluctance to read Melissa's diary. That is her privacy. She didn't want to invade her sister privacy. She remembered how Melissa threatens to break her arms just because she borrowed her hair brush. If Melissa knows about this, she definitely will kill her. But she looked at Emily. She knows that Emily founds something that is important. And she has to know.

Spencer took the diary from Emily's hand and starts reading it. Aria and Hanna haven't read it yet, but when they saw Spencer's expression when she read it, they immediately stand behind Spencer's back and read with her.

"Oh my God." Aria can only say that when she read Melissa's diary. She knows the Hastings since she was little. She might not be friend with Spencer yet. But she knows them. Rosewood is a small town. Everybody talks about the Hastings. The competitive two daughters. But when she knows Spencer, she knows that there is only one competitive daughter. Spencer was just always tried to fit in their family. And Melissa never makes it easy for her.

"Don't read it anymore." Hanna grabs the diary from Spencer.

Spencer looked at Hanna with her teary eyes. "There is might be a clue in here." Spencer said, quietly. Even her voice sounds trembling. Aria wraps her arms around Spencer.

"Then we're the one that will find it. You don't have to read that any longer." Aria also said.

"She is my sister." Spencer keeps said that. Even though she read it with her own eyes, but she still can believe that her sister feels that way about her. She still remember the lines in Melissa's handwriting how she hated Spencer when she was born because she took their parents in her little finger. How she hated to keep pretending to be the caring sister when Spencer is in trouble. Especially after Alison went missing. Nobody cares about Melissa Hastings anymore, because they only asking about how Spencer Hastings is doing. Because of that, she broke up with Ian. For the attention. But it still didn't work so she brings Wren home from college. She didn't even like Wren. She specially chooses him because she knows Spencer will like him. She brings Wren home to set up her sister.

Spencer's tears keeps fall down on her cheek. "Hey." Emily stepped closer to her. "You still have us. We're sisters too." Aria and Hanna nodded.

"I don't have a sibling. You all are my sisters." Hanna said too.

Spencer smiles a little. She feels so lucky to have best friends like them. She opened her arms. The others immediately wrapped their arms around each other. "At least we have each other. We're gonna survive this. We'll beat all of them." Emily said. The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>They all are spending the night on Spencer's house. They didn't want to leave her alone after that. So Jason doesn't have to drive far to picks up Aria for their date. Jason knocked at Spencer's house. It is kind of feels weird for him to knock on Spencer's house to picks up Aria. How surprised Jason is when he sees Toby opened the door.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked him.

"This is my girlfriend's house?" Toby raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, you came." Caleb walked out from the kitchen with spoon in his mouth and a bowl of ice cream on his hand. "Come and join us." Toby just smirked at Jason's confused and shocked face.

"What are you all doing in here?" Jason walked into the house, while Toby closed the door.

"We're the gentlemen callers." Caleb said. Toby laughed. "I just got back from California and I miss my girlfriend. But Hanna spent the night here. So here I am."

Jason looked at Toby. "My girlfriend lives here." Toby answered with the same answer again.

"So, first date with Aria." Caleb said. Jason turned to Caleb again. "At least you're younger than Mr. Fitz."

"You two are hanging out with Fitz too?" Jason asked. Looking how comfortable Toby and Caleb with each other, he doesn't think that this is the first time they are hanging out together.

"Hell, no." Caleb answered. "He's our teacher too, you know. I'm not hanging out with my teacher." Caleb said.

"How weird is gonna be!" Toby smirked. "So are you excited about your first date with Aria?" Jason is just about to answer him when he talks again. "Even thought it won't happen today." Toby added.

"What?" Jason asked.

"I think you know the girls better than us, considering you know them the longest. Spencer is through something right now." There is a sad expression on his face. "That is why the girls are all here right now. They don't feels comfortable to leave Spencer alone at the moment. That includes Aria."

"No." Jason said.

"No, you aren't excited to your first date with Aria?" Caleb smirks at him.

"Yes. I meant no." Truthfully Jason feels a little nervous with this first date thing. "I do feel excited about this first date with Aria that will happen today. We've been waiting a long time for this."

"If you say so." Toby said with a smirk in his face. Actually he just teased him about that, because he can see how nervous he is.

"Hi." Aria walked down the stairs with Hanna next to her. She looked straight to Jason.

Jason locked his eyes on Aria. She wears a pink dress tonight with her long wavy hair fall down perfectly on her shoulders. "Hi. You look so beautiful." Jason said as he holding his hand out to Aria.

Aria put her hand on his. "You don't look too bad yourself too."

Jason smiled at her. "You ready to go?"

Aria nodded. "Yeah." She turned to Hanna. "Han, don't –"

"Don't worry. I got it. Enjoy the date. There are a lot of us in here." Hanna pushed Aria to Jason.

Aria nodded again. "Okay, then. I'll see you later." Jason waved his hand to the guys and stepped outside the house with Aria's hand in his.

They are just about to walk in to the car when she gasped. "Wait. I forget to tell Hanna where I put the pill."

Jason rolled his eyes on her. "What pill?" He tries to ignore what happen in Spencer's house because he really wants to have this date with Aria. But he can see how much it bothers her. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"It isn't as bad as it sounds." Aria said. "Spencer kind of depressed right now. She kept crying. We don't have any choice. So we gave her an antidepressant."

"Why is she depressed?" Jason asked. Aria is just quiet for a moment. "You don't have to tell me if you aren't comfortable with it." Jason added.

"No. I want to tell you." Aria said quickly. "You are part of this little group now, whether you like it or not. That is one of your duties as a boyfriend."

Jason looked at Aria. "Boyfriend?"

Aria blushed. "Yeah. I mean – that is what we are, right?" Aria asked to make sure.

"I am if you want me to be. I just don't want to push you into anything yet if you're not ready." Jason said.

Aria smiled at him. "I don't feel push. I'm happy. Can't you see how happy I am?" Aria leaned in for a kiss. Nobody has to tell Jason what to do. He kisses her immediately without hesitation. They kiss for a while before the pulled away from each other. "So." Aria told Jason the whole story about Spencer and Melissa.

"I don't want to say anything, because it's none of my business. But yeah, Melissa wasn't too happy about Spencer being. She used to complaint about it when we're hanging out together and get high. I don't think she hated her. It just she's been an only child for a while before Spencer was born. She is just doesn't know what to acted with a sister to share her parents attention. And her sister is as bright as she was. She is just jealous."

There is a sad expression on Aria's face. "I feel bad because I can't do anything to make her feel better." Aria said. Jason just slipped his arm around her waist and gives her a little squeeze as a support. "Hold on a moment. I just gonna tell Hanna and we can get out of here."

"Aria." Aria just about to walk into the house again, but Jason's hand on her waist stopped her. "We don't have to do this now, you know. Clearly your mind is another place right now. Boyfriend duties, right?" Jason smiled at her. "You friend needed you right now. I can hang around with the boys."

Aria rolled her eyes out of surprise. "Seriously?"

"Hey. I am friends with Toby. And Caleb." Jason pretends to be offended. "That is his name, right?" Jason smirks at her.

Aria smiled at him and kissed his cheek softly. "I appreciate the gesture, Jason. Thank you."

"Anytime, girlfriend." Jason reached for Aria's hand and guided them back to the house.

Toby and Caleb are just smirking at Jason when they saw both of them returning to the house. But they are pretending not to care. Aria looked at Caleb. "Hanna?"

"She is upstairs." Caleb pointed to the stairs. Aria gives Jason a little peck and walked up the stairs, leaving him with the boys.

"I told you so." Toby said as he leaned to the couch.

"I will let you gloat about it for a while." Jason said as he sat next to the boys. He looked at Caleb. "Just handed me that ice cream." Caleb smirks and handed him the ice cream. Jason put in one full spoon of ice cream into his mouth and watched the television. "What are we watching?"

"Yankees and red sox." Toby answered.

"We're gonna have so much fun." Jason said as he put in one full spoon of ice cream into his mouth again.

* * *

><p>Hanna just comes out from the bathroom when she sees Aria is just about to walk into Spencer's room. "Aria? I thought you and Jason went already? Are you forgetting something?"<p>

Aria shook her head. "No. I'm not going." Aria said.

Hanna rolled her eyes on her. "What? You've been waiting for this for a while. And now you're not going?"

"I can have that date anytime now, because Jason is my boyfriend." Aria said with a smile in her face.

Hanna chuckled. "We're all known that Jason is your boyfriend now. What is with the blushing?"

"We're just deciding that we are boyfriend and girlfriend. How could you know?" Aria said.

"You two are so slow." Hanna shook her head. "It doesn't explain why you aren't in the date with him right now." Hanna asked again, remembering the date that supposed to happen right now.

"I can't go right now. He can see it. I can't stop worrying about Spencer. We can have that date anytime. Right now my best friend needs me. That is where I should be right now." Aria said.

"You don't have to do that." Spencer comes out the room with Emily followed behind her. "I know how long you've been expecting this date. I'm sure Jason already waited longer. You should go with Jason."

Aria turned to Spencer. "And that date will happen. Right now I just want to spend some time with my besties." Aria said with a smile.

"I know that you all are so good to me. I should be grateful that I have sisters like you three. But I can't keep thinking about Melissa. Why she feel like that about me? I was her only sister." Spencer said. Aria looked at Spencer. Suddenly she thinks about what Jason tell her about the Hastings secret. She almost forget about that considering what has been going on this couple of weeks. She wonders if Spencer will feel better if she knows that Alison is her sister too. But she can't say anything to her.

"She is your sister, Spence. It's normal to be depressed. To be sad. But we're here for you." Aria said again.

Spencer turned to Aria. "You maybe don't mind, but Jason will." Spencer said again.

Aria shook her head. "Trust me. He doesn't. Don't worry about that."

"He already waits on this for a while. And he is here already. It doesn't make sense if he just goes back to his home." Spencer said.

"He isn't. He is downstairs, hanging out with the boys. They are bonding." Aria said again.

They all are turned to Aria and rolled their eyes. "Seriously?" Emily asked. "Jason is hanging out with Toby and Caleb?"

Aria raised her eyebrows. "Why you all look so surprise? He isn't Ezra. Their age difference isn't that far away. Only four years. And he isn't their teacher. There is no pressure."

"Let's peek." Hanna said. They all are looking at Hanna. "Don't tell me that you all aren't curious." Hanna is the one that make the first step, but they all are following her.

* * *

><p>The boys are enjoying their time together. Unexpectedly, they have a lot to talk about. About school, football or their girlfriends. Caleb turned to Jason. "Could you please give me back the ice cream? Don't hogging it."<p>

Jason rolled his eyes on him. "I am hardly hogging it. I just eat it like two spoons."

Toby chucked. "Don't mind him. He just isn't the sharing type." Jason looked at Toby. "He doesn't share. Even with Hanna." Toby added.

Jason turned to Caleb. "I do not." Caleb protests. Toby is laughing.

Jason just watched the two of them. "You two get along fine." Jason said.

Toby and Caleb took a glance at each other and shrugged. "The girls are best friend with each other. Thank God he isn't that hard to get along to. I was really worried." Caleb said.

"Me? You are the one that always broke the law." Toby said.

Jason laughs. "It's amusing watching the two of you." Jason said.

Toby and Caleb looked at each other again. "Honestly, we are so relief that Aria chose you and not Ezra Fitz. With the girls' friendships, we ought to spend a lot of time together. I can't imagine what it would be like to hang out with your teacher." Caleb said.

Toby nodded of agreement. "The two of us don't exactly know each other that long." Caleb nodded.

"We don't exactly in the same social circle." Caleb added.

"But I'm glad that I was you, though." Toby suddenly said to Caleb. Caleb even rolled his eyes on him, because he never said that kind of thing to him before. "I was never really a friendly person. It is kind of hard for me to make friend. I never had a friend before. Until I starts hanging out with Emily. Then it leads to fall for Spencer. And then knowing you." Toby said to Caleb.

"Oh nerd. I'm flattered. But please don't ever say something like that again. It creeps me out." Caleb said. Toby and Jason let out a laugh.

Jason looked at Toby again. "You really never had any friend before?" Jason asked him.

Toby shrugged. "I am always kind of a loner. Emily wasn't even notice me until my step sister offended Alison DiLaurentis."

Suddenly it comes to his realization. He widened his eyes. "That Jenna girl. I remembered now. Jenna Marshall. She is your sister."

"Step sister." Toby corrected him.

And then they heard the footsteps walking down the stairs. They all are looking at the stairs and look the girls walked down.

Jason locked his eyes to the girls. "I remember Jenna." The girls are looking at each other and then back to Jason. "She is Toby's sister, the one that blinded by Spencer –" Spencer rolled her eyes on him. "According to Ali." Jason added.

"It isn't according to Ali. She is the one that did it. We all are the witness." Spencer walked to him.

Jason looked at Aria who nodded. "Fine. The one that blinded by Ali." Jason corrected his word. Jason looked at the girls. "I just care about getting high at the time, so I don't really put that much thought into it. Ali said Toby's new step sister was having an affair with Ian. Ali doesn't know that I know she was already having an affair with Ian, so she just talking about it casually. But I remember her expression. Ali was jealous at her."

"That might be the real reason why she was thrown a firecracker to the garage." Hanna said.

"So Ian was with four girls at the time?" Emily asked with a shocked tone. She took a glance at Spencer who has an angry expression on her face.

"That bastard." Spencer curses. Toby sat up from the couch and hugs her shoulders. She feels much relax when Toby is holding her. "But at least we know that Jenna really is had a romantic relationship with Ian."

"They are rival. They don't get along well already. And with the information that Jenna also had a relationship with Ian, that could throw Ali over the edge. That isn't so surprising that she throw the firecracker to the garage. I doubt that she intended that for Toby. I think she knows that Jenna was in there." Aria said. Emily and Hanna nodded in agreement. The one thing that they hated the most is they know Ali too much.

Spencer suddenly remember something. Spencer looks at Toby. "She did that because she said you were spying on her." Spencer said, remembering what happened at the moment.

Toby shook his head. "I never spy on Alison DiLaurentis. That doesn't even make sense. Why would I want to spy on her? I don't even like the girl. No offense to you all." Toby added. He knows that no matter what happen Alison was the girl's best friend and her brother is in the room.

"But Ali said you were spying on her." Emily said to Toby. "I don't think she was lying. She really looks really scared. She was sure that she was being spy on." Emily added. Emily and the others believe the assumption that Toby was spying on Ali is ridiculous.

"Someone did spying on Ali. On us." Aria said. She was remembering the old times when they are hanging out together at the DiLaurentis house. She exchange glances with the girls.

Hanna nodded on agreement. "We all saw him or her, the one that sneaking around Ali's backyard. Ali said that he is Toby. But we know that it wasn't true. So someone else was watching us."

"I might be seeing someone." Toby suddenly said.

They all are immediately looking at Toby. "What do you mean by that? You saw someone? Who is it?" Spencer turned to Toby.

"I didn't really saw her watching Ali, how could she?" Toby chuckled. The others are rolled their eyes on him. "Once, I saw Ali sneaking around in her backyard. I don't know what she was doing and honestly, at that time I could careless."

"You saw Ali?" Spencer asked again. Toby nodded. "That is very useless information. Ali can't be A. How can she spy on herself? And she is dead." Spencer sighed. They all are drown in their own mind, trying to make sense the situation so they didn't see that Jason is widened his eyes with a surprise expression. But he keeps it to himself. Spencer looks at the others. "There is one thing about Melissa that I never told you guys about."

They all are looking at Spencer, waiting on her to continue. "What is it?" Emily asked.

"She was quiet jealous of Alison. She thinks that she is a whore. Melissa knows that Ali had an interest with Ian. But I don't think she knows that they were having an affair." Spencer explained.

"Guys." Aria called. "Do you guys realize that all of this always back to Ian?"

They never realize that until Aria bring that up. Aria's word makes sense. But it doesn't make sense why A is targeting Ian Thomas. "It starts with Ali. This supposed to be about Ali. They even use A as a name. A for Alison." Emily said.

"But what Aria said is make sense. The clues that we gathers so far, it all connected to Ian." Hanna also said.

Caleb suddenly coughed nervously. They all are immediately turned to him. "When Jenna hired me to do – you know." Hanna rolled her eyes. Even without words, he knows Hanna warned him that it better worth it to bring this up again. "She specifically asked to keep an ear if there is something connected with that coach, Ian Thomas. I don't really think about it until now." He looked at Spencer. "That is why I followed you, because Ian is your brother in law." Caleb said to Spencer, remind her about the incident at Ian's office a few months back when he caught her snooping around.

"Back to Ian." Aria reminds them all.

They all are looking at each other. They don't want to admit it. And the last thing Spencer wants is dig into Ian's life one more time. But their clues that they have right now are all connected to Ian.

"We have to dig into Ian's life. Again." Spencer said and sighed. "This will never end, isn't it?"

Aria, Hanna and Emily walked closer to Spencer and put their arms around each other. "At least we have each other." Aria whispered to the girls.

"And us too. We're in this together." Caleb also said. The girls are looking at him, and then Toby who nodded at them. The last is Jason.

Jason looked at them all. For a lot of reason he didn't want to be involved in this. The one thing about Ian's life is that he is in it. The guy was his sort of best friend. But when he sees Aria, he knows that he doesn't have other choice. Like she said earlier, he is in this little group whether he likes it or not. Now he knows what the price that he has to pay for the happiness with Aria. And he will do anything to protect her. So he forces a smile on his face and nodded. "Of course."

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars, but so excited that they won a people choice award! (I voted for them, of course!)

Author's note : This chapter is really hard to write, because English is not my first language, so it is kind of hard for me to write the expression about the suspense in this chapter. But I hope that all of you can still enjoy it. Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p>After their realization that day, Spencer dedicated her days to hunt everything about Ian. She digs more into Ian's life. If anybody knows what she is doing right now, they must be thinks that she is a stalker. She is looking through the barn, because there is the last place that Ian lived in. She even didn't hesitate to snoop around Melissa's things. She was obsessed to dig into Ian's life.<p>

"Did you check that side thoroughly?" Spencer turned to Emily who gets the right side of the barn. Thank to God that a room always has four sides, and there are four of them. Each one of them gets one side of the room.

Emily turned to Spencer with an annoyed face. "I've been in this side for four days, Spence. I even can memorize the whole things in this place by now." Emily said. Spencer's obsession of course has to include her best friends.

And now Spencer looks at Hanna who has the same annoyed face. "Ditto." Hanna rolled her eyes on her. "We're in this room together for four days, in case you forget." Hanna said. Hanna took a glance at Aria's empty side of the room. "Maybe you should check Aria's side. She is only been here for three days. Maybe something turns up when she isn't here." Hanna said sarcastically.

Spencer sighed. She knows that her friends are annoyed by her recent behavior. "I know that you think I'm obsessed. But I'm not." Spencer said.

"Can't you hear yourself, Spence? Even that, sounds obsessed." Emily said.

Spencer walked to the center of the room, so she could be closer to Emily and Hanna. She knows that they didn't understand her right now. She doesn't understand herself right now. But she had a feeling that there is something in that room. "Look. Ian lived here. There must be something in here. I'm sure of it. We're just had to find it."

Hanna sighed. "We've been here for days, Spence. If there is something in here, we should found it by now."

Emily stepped closer to Spencer. "Hanna is right, Spence. Look. I get it that you're frustrated. I share the feelings. But this is getting nowhere. We're just wasting our time in here. We're gonna figure out something else. We're in this together, remember?"

Spencer sighed again. She looks her two best friends and saw their tired face. "Just search it one more time, okay?"

Emily and Hanna looked each other. Emily sighed but nodded at Hanna. "Fine." Hanna said with a sigh. Hanna really feel so sick of this, she almost can't stand it anymore. Because of that, she doesn't really looks where she was going and bumps into a dresser and a few things on top the dresser fell down to the ground with a breaking glass sound because one of them is a picture frame of Ian and Melissa on their wedding day. "Crap."

Emily and Spencer immediately glared at Hanna. Hanna looks at Spencer with an apologetic face. "I'm so sorry, Spence."

"I'll get a broom." Emily stepped out from the room.

Spencer just shook her head and continues searching on her side of the room. Hanna is just standing there and waiting for Emily to come back with a broom. She looks at the broken glasses that scattered around the floor and notice something. She kneeled down and tries to move the broken glasses.

Spencer heard the sound of the broken glasses that moved by Hanna and turned to her. "Hanna, what are you doing? Emily is getting a broom. You're gonna get yourself hurt." But Hanna is ignoring her. "Hanna! Stop picking it with your own hand."

Hanna raised her head and looked at Spencer. "There is something in here." Hanna said.

Spencer immediately walked to her and kneeled down beside her. Hanna is right. Spencer also sees something shining beneath the broken glasses. Hanna moved a few broken glasses and picks the thing.

"What is that? A key?" Spencer looks a key that picked by Hanna.

Hanna handed out the key to Spencer. "What is gonna opened?" Hanna said.

That is when they heard a footsteps and Emily walked back into the barn. She looked at both of the girls and notices their strange expression. "We found something." Spencer said, before Emily can ask anything. Emily drops the broom and walked to them. She looks at the key that Spencer holds.

"It was hide in a photo frame. It must be Ian's." Hanna said.

"Let me take a look at it." Spencer handed out the key to Emily. Emily observes the key. She recognizes the key. There is a distinctive sign on the key. "This is a PO box key from the post office on the fifth street. My mom gets one of this when she forwarded all of our mail to that PO Box when she moved to Texas."

"Do you have their number?" Spencer asked.

Emily nodded. "Yes, it's in my phone." Emily handed out her phone to Spencer.

Spencer immediately dialed the number. "US Postal Service, good evening. How can I help you?"

"Hi good evening. My name is – Jenna Marshall." Spencer looked at Emily who rolled her eyes and Hanna who smirk. "I want to ask about my friend's box. He was overseas at the moment, and he asked me to pick up something from his box. But he didn't give me the number, just the key."

"Who is the name on the rent?"

"Ian Thomas." Spencer answers.

"Hold on a moment." There is a hold tone while Spencer is waiting. But she didn't have to wait that long. "There is no Ian Thomas in here." Spencer just about to ask something else, but the girl from the US postal service talks again. "But there are Ian Thomas and Jason DiLaurentis."

"Jason DiLaurentis?" Spencer looks at both girls again. "Are you sure?"

"That's the name on the rent."

"What is the number?" The girl tells Spencer. "Well, thank you so much." And then Spencer hangs out the phone.

"Jason?" Hanna immediately asked Spencer as soon as she is off the phone.

"He has some explaining to do. Where are they?" Spencer asked.

"At Jason's. Aria is worried if we need something, so they just spend the day at Jason's." Emily said.

"We have to go over there."

* * *

><p>Jason and Aria are finally having their first date. The two of them are cuddling against each other in front of the fireplace at Jason's house.<p>

"I'm sorry that our first date has to be like this. I promise I will make it up to you when this is over." Aria said.

Jason gives her a sincere smile. "That's okay. This is perfect. I don't have any complain. What's there to complain? We're finally having our first date. And there are just the two of us here at my house. We can't get this kind of privacy at the fancy restaurant."

Aria smiled at him. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I don't mind for you to keep remind me of that every time. And I love you too." They leaned in for a kiss. They never thought that they can be this happy. Jason slipped his hand on Aria's waist, holding her closer to him. "We can invite them all to a movie night or something. I really don't mind." Jason said again.

Aria just watched him. She feels so lucky to have him. She knows that Jason is just doesn't want her to be worried about her friends. Aria smiles again while she throws her arms to his neck. "But I do. I don't want to share you with the others, yet. I haven't got enough of you." Aria leaned in for a kiss.

Jason smiles and kissed her gently. "You don't have to worry about that. We're gonna have a lifetime of this." Jason kissed her again.

Aria chuckled while she tightens her hold on Jason. "Are you so sure that we're gonna ended up together?" Aria teased him.

"Of course. I might be anything, but not a fool." Jason said. Aria raised her eyebrows. "I know what I have. So I never gonna let you go." Jason leaned in closer to Aria. "Ever." He whispered in her ear.

"I might hold you on to that." Aria said.

"No problem." Jason said before he crashed down his lips on her. Softly and slowly, she kissed him back. Jason starts to kiss her longer and hard. It was so deep and passionate. Aria has been kissing him these past few months. They had been kissing each other long before they are in a relationship. But she never feels tired of it. She even feels so overwhelmingly happy every time they are kissing.

Jason kisses her lips and jaw, her cheek, her eyes, her neck. They lose track of time and just keep kissing each other. This kissing is consuming all of her thought. She wasn't thinking about anything else beside this sweet guy who is kissing her. Jason quickly opened his shirt and throws it on the floor, and Aria was captivated by the beauty of his body. She always has. They didn't say anything and stripped off their clothing. Jason kissed her deeply and whispered to her ear. "You're so beautiful. I love you."

* * *

><p>They are surprise by the knocks on the door. "Who is that?" Aria asked with a whispered. The knocks sound scary because the guest seems to have no patience and keep knocking down with a full force.<p>

"Aria!"

Aria and Jason looked at each other. "Is that Spencer?" Jason said. Aria just shook her head. She is just about to grab her dress on the couch, but Spencer keeps knocking.

Aria turned to Jason. "There is no time to put my dress on. Give me your shirt."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "If you're wearing my shirt, what do I wear?" Jason asked. He can't just open the door half naked, even it is in his own house.

Aria grabs the shirt on Jason's hand and throws him a blanket. "You can use that." Aria said as she quickly slipped into Jason's shirt that is too big on her and cover her thigh. She quickly ran to the door. She is surprise that isn't just Spencer at the door but also Emily and Hanna, who smirks at her because she is wearing Jason's shirt. And Jason walked to them with just a blanket covering his chest. No one has to tell them what they are doing at the moment.

"What you all are doing in here? You're promise to give one night off, remember?" Aria said.

"We found something." Spencer said.

Aria widened her eyes. She never thought that they will find anything in that barn considering they spent more than three days looking through that barn. "Really? What is it?" Aria stepped aside to let the others come in and closed the door. They can't just standing outside while everyone can see them.

Spencer shows the key to Aria. "A key? What key is this?"

Spencer glances at Jason. "You might want to ask Jason about that."

Jason raised his eyebrows out of confusion. "What?" The girls are looking at him. "How am I involved in this? I never saw that key my entire life."

"This is the key of a PO box at the post office on the fifth street. Ian rented one of the boxes," Spencer looked at Jason. "With Jason as his co-leased."

"What? I never rented a PO box or anything." Jason denied Spencer's accusation.

"It has your name on it!" Spencer shouted at him.

"Okay." Aria stepped in the middle of them. She is trying to calm them. "I'm sure there must be some explanation about this." Aria said. She believes in Jason. She knows that he had nothing to do with this. But Spencer also has a reason why she wanted to bite Jason's head off.

Suddenly Jason remembered something. "Oh."

Aria turned to him. She recognizes the expression on his face. "What?"

Jason looked at the girls. "When we were seventeen, Ian ever wanted to rent a PO Box to forward all his mail. He said that he didn't have the privacy he needed at his foster home. But he is still underage at the time. And he didn't want his foster parent to sign the lease. He asked me to co-lease with him so my mom can sign the paper." Spencer is just about to ask him why he easily forgets about the fact that he shouldn't forgets. But Jason continued his explanation. "But he said he lost the paper. When we said that we have no problem of signing it again, he said that he changed his mind."

"He doesn't want you to know about his PO Box." Spencer commented.

"You are his best friend. What kind of secret that he wanted to keep from you? You guys are seventeen at the time." Emily said.

"We're seventeen." Aria reminds them all. They are the same exact age and they probably have more secrets than a spy.

"Good point." Hanna said.

"We have to look into that PO Box." Aria said. The others nodded in agreement. Aria walked to the door. Jason is just about to say something when Hanna grabs Aria's hand. Aria turned to Hanna.

"Please wear proper clothes." Hanna said pointed to Jason's shirt that she wears.

"Oh God!" Aria blushed. She seriously doesn't remember that she was wearing Jason's shirt when Spencer and Jason starts yelling at each other. "I'll be right back." Aria walked back into the living room with Jason followed behind her. She knows that Jason is just about to laugh at her. "Don't you dare laughing at me."

But Jason can't hold his laughter that long. He embraces Aria from behind and kisses her neck. "You're so cute."

"Shut up." Aria said, pouting. She turned around and faces Jason. "That is so embarrassing. I know them so long, and that never happen to me."

"Well, if it makes you any better, the hard part is over. They know that we're sleeping together now. So it won't be awkward next time." Jason teased her.

"It didn't." Aria pouts, but then she smiled. "Shame on you." Aria said while she playfully hit Jason's arm.

"Come on, let's get dress. They know exactly what we do if we didn't come back soon." Jason kissed her cheek and let her go to get dress.

They comes back to the front door before Spencer could yelled at them some more. "Let's go." Aria said.

"You missed a button." Hanna said, looking at Aria.

Aria immediately looked down to her dress and notices that her dress has no buttons in it. She glared at Hanna who is smirking at her. "It is very funny, Han."

"You did miss a button earlier, in Jason's shirt." Hanna said again, still smirking.

"Hanna, do you think this is the time!" Spencer said, annoyed.

Hanna sighed. "She is just joking, Spence. Don't be so tenses. We finally get something." Emily tries to calm Spencer over.

Jason looked at the girls. "Do I need to come there with you?" He looked at Spencer and sees that she hasn't in her right mind. The last thing he wanted to do is offend her. But clearly she isn't exactly really fond of him. She seems has a lot of reasons to pick a fight with him, so the safest thing to do for him is stay away.

Emily turned to Jason. "Of course you are. It is your name on the listed. I doubt that they will let a bunch of school girls to open the box even thought we have the key." Jason took a glance at Spencer again and sighed.

"I promise I will protect you from her. I won't let her bite your head off." Aria whispered to his ear. Jason chuckled.

Spencer looked at the two sweet couple and sighed. "Could you continue that after we take care of this?"

"Let's just go." Emily grab Spencer's arm and walked out from the house. The others are following them.

* * *

><p>"Name?" The postman on the post office asked Jason. He keeps glaring at the girls. Well, if anybody sees them right now. They must be curious of them. They couldn't be more suspicion than ever. One guy bring four teenage girls to the post office is highly suspicious. But they barely care about that at the time.<p>

"Jason DiLaurentis." Jason took out his wallet and gives his ID to the postman.

The postman checked Jason's ID. "Help yourself." He said, pointed to the room behind him. Jason and the girls immediately walked to there. "And no funny business." He said again, before they all are disappeared into the back room.

"Do I look like a pervert that doing four girls?" Jason shook his head.

Hanna glared at him. "Do I look like you can get me?" Hanna said to Jason too. "I'm so out of your league." Jason glared back at her. Aria is laughing. She loves that her friend could be that friendly with her boyfriend. That makes her feels so grateful at Hanna.

"First thing first, guys." Spencer snapped them back to reality. "This is the box." Spencer pointed to the box in front of them.

"Open it." Emily said.

Spencer took out the key from her coat's pocket and opened the box. When they saw what is inside the box, the result isn't what they expected. "It is just a bunch of mail." Spencer said.

"Well, what do you expected? It is a PO Box." Jason said.

"Just take the entire letter and we read it at home, okay?" Emily said.

They take the entire letter and returned to Spencer's house. It may have been a few months since the last time Ian checked his mails, because the mail he got is a lot.

"These are just phone bill and stuff." Hanna said, waving the letter that she holds. They divided the letters five parts, so each one of them checked the letters.

"Same with me." Aria also said.

Spencer also gets the same unimportant letter like coupon and stuff. She looked at Jason. Jason is just shrugging at her. And then she looked at Emily. "I may find something."

Spencer immediately shifted closer to Emily and looked at the letter that she holds. "What is it?"

"These are a bunch of letter Ian got from someone name Joshua Thomas." Emily tells everyone. They all are looking at her, waiting for her to continue. "I haven't read the whole letter but it seems like they're related. Family."

Now they all are looking at Spencer. Spencer knows the reason for it. "Ian told us that he didn't have any family left." Spencer said. And then they are looking at Jason. Ian is his best friend.

Jason shook his head either. "He never talks about his family. I just knew that his parents were died because of a car crash and he didn't have any siblings. I don't know that he still have any family."

"Well, he has." Emily said. She is quiet for a while and continues reading the letter. The others are force to be patience at waiting until she finished reading the letter. "Joshua Thomas is his cousin. They aren't that close but keep track of each other once a while. But reading from his last letter, he's been asking why Ian hasn't replied his letters for a while, I think he has no idea that Ian is dead."

"I think we should meet this Joshua Thomas. He is Ian's family. He might know something about him." Spencer said. The others are looking each other. But they all nodded.

"It's worth a try." Aria said. "Where he lives?" She asked Emily again.

Emily reaches the envelope on the ground. "There is no home address in here. I think he send it from where he is working. He works at the – Lindlemint hospital." Jason is suddenly coughs. They are looking at him.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked him.

He looked kind of pale at the moment. "My throat feels a little dry. I'm gonna pour some water." He immediately sat up and walked to the kitchen.

They all are turned back to Emily. "It located at Hicksville." Emily said again.

"It is just a couple towns from here." Spencer said.

"Guys, it is a psychiatric hospital." Emily said again. They all are looking at each other, so they didn't see Jason was drunk down the whole glass of water with a big sweat on his face.

"So he is a patient there?" Hanna opened her mouth.

Spencer looks at the girls. "He still could be a nurse or a doctor that work there. Maybe even a janitor." Spencer is trying to stay positive.

"Who are we kidding, Spence! With our luck, he must be a patient there." Aria said with a sarcastic tone. Remembering what they have been through all of this time, it is hard for stay positive. All the clues they had are turned into a dead end. Hanna nodded with her.

"Whatever he turns up to be, we have to checks this out." Spencer said. She took a glance at the clock on the wall. It is almost eight o'clock. There is no way that they can go right at this moment. "Tomorrow."

"We have school, Spence." Emily said. "We can't just bail out of school. Nothing is more suspicious if the four of us bail from school together at the same time."

Spencer thinks about this. Emily is right. Everyone knows that they were arrested by the police. Twice. They can't do anything freely anymore without raised a suspicion. "Fine, I'll go. It doesn't need all of us to checks the hospital." Spencer looks at Aria. Someone has to be come with her. It is too dangerous for her to go alone.

Aria rolled her eyes on Spencer. "I can't bail on school, Spence. In case you forget, my mom is the teacher."

After that Spencer turned to Hanna. "I have a history mid test tomorrow. I will fail this class if I didn't take the test." Hanna said.

Her last hope is Emily. "Hanna and I are the same class, remember."

Spencer sighed. "You can ask Toby to come with you." Aria said.

Spencer shook her head. "He has this job at the woodshop in the border for three days. He won't be back until the day after tomorrow."

"Caleb can't miss another day at school. He already missed a lot when he went to California." Hanna said. And then she looked at Jason who still standing behind the counter with an empty glass in his hand. "You can go with Jason." Hanna looked at Aria.

Aria nodded. "Yeah. Jason has no counseling on Tuesday. He can come with you, right?" Aria looked at Jason. Aria is just noticing at this moment how pale he becomes. "Are you okay?"

Jason coughs again. He put the glass on the counter and walked back to them with his hand on the back of his neck. He always do that when he is nervous, Aria knows that. "I suddenly don't feel really well. But yes, I can go with Spencer. If she doesn't mind." Jason added.

The last person she wanted to go with is Jason, but he is the only one available at the moment. And Spencer couldn't risked go there alone. They didn't know that they can find out there. "It is better than none, right?"

Aria turned to Jason again. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't look so well." Aria asked, worried.

Jason tried to smile. He can see how worried Aria is. "Don't worry. I just need some sleep. I'll be better tomorrow." Jason said.

"Then you better go home and sleep. We need you one hundred percent tomorrow." Hanna said.

Jason nodded. "Guess I'm out, ladies. I'll see you tomorrow, Spence." Jason waves his hand the girls. He looked at Aria and kissed her cheek softly. "Call you tomorrow."

"I'll walk you." Aria slipped her arms to Jason's and they walked out from Spencer's house. "You're fine earlier. Suddenly you feel sick?" Aria asked again while they are walking to Spencer's house to Jason's. She couldn't aside the feelings that something is up to with Jason. She can't explain it. But she is just having that feeling.

Jason smiled at her while he shrugged. "I guess our exercise earlier really take a toll on me." Jason whispered in her ear. Aria smiled. She knows that Jason is trying to tease her. And she also knows that she wouldn't get anything out of him right now.

"We're here." Aria said in front of Jason's house. "Go get some rest." Jason nodded.

Aria is just about to turn around and walked back to Spencer's when Jason called her again. "I really love you, you know that right?"

Aria nodded in smile. "I know. And I love you too. Now go get some rest." Jason nodded in smile too and he gets into his house. Aria walked back to Spencer's with a doubt in her mind. She knows Jason too well. She knows that he is hiding something from her. She is just not sure if she wanted to know something that Jason really trying to keep from her. She knows that Jason loves her. She has no doubt in that. So when Jason is hiding something from her, it couldn't be something good. She is just has no other space in her life for something bad. She already has enough of it and it hasn't over yet.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready to go?" Jason asked Spencer who sits next to her on the passenger's side.<p>

Spencer glared at him. "Are you kidding me? I am ready to go since yesterday." Spencer said.

"Let's hit the road, then." Jason started his engine and drove away from Rosewood.

They've been on the road for almost two hours in silence. If anybody rides with them, they must be thinks that Spencer is hitch riding with him and they don't know each other. And that makes Spencer feels tense. She doesn't like an awkward feeling.

"So everything went smoothly with Aria?" Spencer asked Jason.

Jason turned to her with a glared. "Are you seriously starts a pep talk with me?" Spencer rolled her eyes. "And it has to be about Aria?"

Spencer turned to Jason. "We have nothing in common. Nothing to say to each other. Just Aria. For her sakes, I think we have to know each other a little better."

Jason turned his eyes on the road while he sighed. "You knew me, and yet you don't like me." Jason took a glance at Spencer. "You never had. For you, I always this Ali's brother who was stone all the time."

"Well, that is exactly who you are." Spencer said, without even thinking it. Jason hit the right place. As soon as she said it, she immediately regret it, maybe she shouldn't be this harsh to him. "Were." She added, finally.

But Jason is already feels annoyed with Spencer's answer. "You know what your problem is, Spencer? You're always this judgmental to anyone. Just a hint, not everyone is as perfect as you are."

Spencer rolled her eyes on him. "I never say that I am perfect."

Jason turned to her. "But you are perfect. You are the perfect daughter that any parents could wish for. Not everyone is as smart as you are. As confident as you are." Actually Jason is always admiring Spencer. Melissa is one of his best friends since they were still in high school. He heard a lot about Spencer. "Sometimes life is sucks." Jason shouted at her. "No wonder Melissa hates you." Spencer gasped and widened her eyes. She understands that Jason is angry to her, but she never thought that he will bring this up. Jason also realize that he went too far after he said that. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bring that up." Jason said to her.

Spencer turned to him. "No. Continue." She is surprise that Jason could say that to her. But that makes her realized that Jason is Melissa's friend. For a while she only thinks of him as Alison's brother and now Aria's boyfriend. She forgets that he is also Melissa's friend. Spencer locked her eyes on the road. "When I read that diary I just realized, that I never really know my sister because I never know how much she hates me." Spencer turned to Jason again. "You are one of her closest friend. I'll be happy to get any explanation that I can get at the moment."

Looking at her right now, how vulnerable she is at the moment, Jason isn't seeing Spencer Hastings, Aria's friend again. He sees Spencer Hastings, Alison's step sister. Technically she could also be his sister because Spencer is Alison's sister. "I can understand why Melissa didn't like you. I have the same feelings toward my sister. I always envied her. She is always so perfect. It is like she never did something wrong. My parents were always proud of her. I always this loser son who should never been born. The only thing that I do best is humiliating the family. Even after Ali is dead, I always feel my parents regretted that she was the one that died. They got the wrong child."

Spencer looked at him. She never sees this side of him before. It is feels like she just saw the real Jason DiLaurentis for the first time. "I'm sure that is not true. Yes, they must be devastated that Ali is dead. But they won't hope that you're the one that should be dead because they are your parents too. They love you."

Jason scoffed. "I doubt that. When they could have a child like Alison, why they would want me?" Spencer could see how broken Jason is. Jason turned to her again. "That is what Melissa is feeling too. She is smart. But never as smart as you. You're brilliant." Spencer is just silently looking at him. "That is what she always said. My sister is brilliant. My parents don't need me anymore. They only love Spencer. For it's worth, I don't think she hates you. She is just envy you. Like I envied Ali." Jason turned his eyes on the road. "I never could hate Ali. She could be mean sometimes. But she is also always this scared little sister that need her brother protection. I failed her. And now she is dead." Spencer saw a glance of tear in Jason's eyes.

"It happens." Spencer said. Jason looked at her. "Regret always comes later after the failure. But you have to remember, that none of this is your fault. Someone killed her. And that isn't you, so this is not your fault. Yes, you shouldn't get high at the time, but it had happened. The only things you can do right now are deal with it and move on." Spencer suddenly smiled at him. "She would have wanted you to move on. She would hate if you keep drowning in guilt for her death, because she loved you."

Jason scoffed as he looked at her. "This is Alison who we're talking about here."

"She is your sister. You should know her better than me." Spencer rolled her eyes on him.

"Well, I knew her." Jason said. "But I lose track of her for the last years of her life because I was too busy getting high. You know that."

"She is a bitch." Spencer said. She can feel the glare that Jason gives to her. But Spencer ignored him. "She may act tough, but she always had a soft spot for us, for you." Spencer said with a smile.

Jason shook his head. "I never can understand how the five of you could be best friend." Jason said.

Spencer put a sincere smile in her face. "Because no matter how many things I hate about her, one thing that I always knows." Spencer looked at Jason. "That she will always have my back, every time I needed her, she always there for me. I admitted that she has different approaches, mostly is a harsh one, but in the end, she did it for us. Like you too." Jason raised his eyebrows. "She always complains about her big brother who always got high all the time. But somehow I still can see the anger and concern in her eyes. She just thought that you could do better. She cares about you. Don't you ever doubt that."

Jason smiles at her. "Looks like we did have something in common after all." Spencer turned to him. "Alison."

Spencer nodded in smiles. "Yeah, she will always be the common thing for all of us."

Jason looked at her. "Thanks, Spence. Whether you mean it or not, I really appreciated it."

Spencer also looked at him. Their eyes locked to each other. "Likewise. I also appreciate that you're talking to me about Melissa." Spencer said.

"Just don't give up on her yet." Jason said again. "No matter what, she is still your sister. That fact is won't ever gonna change. Trust me; blood really is thicker than water." Spencer has a feelings he isn't just say that to her, but also to himself. Considering his relationship with Ali, she understands.

* * *

><p>They've been drove for almost three hours until finally they arrived at the Lindlemint hospital. Spencer immediately gets out from the car and observed the place. Jason looks more nervous than ever. He walked to her.<p>

"Maybe we should reconsider about coming here." Jason said to her.

Spencer widened her eyes. "Are you kidding me? We've been on the road for almost three hours. I am not leaving here until we get what we're looking for." Spencer looked very determined right now. Jason also can see that.

Jason sighed. "You go." Spencer rolled her eyes on him. "I have to go to the men's room." Jason said again. Spencer sighed. "I'll catch up." Jason added.

Spencer shook her head and walked into the psychiatric hospital. She walked to the nurse station. There is only one nurse in there. "Excuse me."

The nurse raised her head and looked at Spencer. "Yes, how can I help you? The visiting hours hasn't started yet."

"No. I'm not here to visit anyone." Spencer said. "I hope." She added quietly. "I am looking for a Joshua Thomas."

The nurse rolled her eyes on Spencer. "Who are you? And why are you looking for him?" She didn't seem very fond of Spencer asking around about him.

Spencer is already thinking about this reason all night yesterday. She won't just go without preparation. "My name is Spencer Hastings. Ian Thomas was my brother in law. He passed away."

"Ian passed away?' The nurse is looking surprise and a little sad. She is definitely knows Ian.

"You know him?" Spencer asked.

"He used to come here all the time." The nurse answers. "Nice guy." She praised.

Spencer is trying her best not to puke at the moment. She forces a smile on her face. "You don't say." She commented.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." The nurse said again.

"Thank you. And about Joshua Thomas? When I take care of Ian's stuff, I notice the letters from him. I just found out that Ian still has a relative." Spencer asked about the reason they came here.

The nurse is smiling at her now. She doesn't look so rude anymore. "Josh is a nurse here."

"Thank God." Spencer whispered to herself.

"But he is at the camping trip for two weeks." The nurse said again.

Spencer sighed. "Of course." She said with a sarcastic tone. It never easy for them, she should know that. Spencer looked at the nurse again. "Where is this camp?"

The nurse raised her eyebrows. "Are you planning to catch up with him at the woods?" The nurse asked her with a surprise tone.

Spencer put her smile face again. She almost forgets that she is supposed to act normal. "Of course not. Why I want to go the woods? It is just – I think I should have the complete information, to tell my sister, you know. She is already through a lot. I'm sure you're understood."

The nurse smiled sincerely at Spencer. "Of course." She flipped a few pages on the book and looked at Spencer again. "Josh is camping at the Middleton woods."

"Thank you so much." Spencer put her sweet face. After that she looked around. Jason hasn't come back yet. She is so annoyed right now. "Where the hell is he? He's been gone forever!" Spencer pouts. She doesn't have any other choice. She goes back to the nurse. "I'm sorry. One more thing. Could you tell me where the men's room is?" The nurse raised her eyebrows again. "I came with a friend. He went to the men's room for a while and hasn't returned yet."

Spencer walked to the direction that the nurse pointed to her. She is just about to turn right when she sees Jason on her left side. He is shaking hand with someone. When he turned, he notices Spencer. He still looked nervous.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer asked him. "Isn't the men's room supposed to be this way?" Spencer pointed to her right. "And who is that?"

Jason coughed nervously. "I'm lost. This place is big." Jason said. Spencer rolled her eyes on him. "And that is the overfriendly chief. She insists on briefing me about this place."

Spencer shook her head. "Let just go, okay? We're still have three more hours ride." Spencer walked out from the hospital. Jason is following behind her.

They are just about to get into the car when the chief of the hospital ran after them. "Jason!" Jason took a glance at Spencer and immediately walked to the chief.

Spencer watched them. It is looks like that they involve in a very serious conversation. But she can't hear a thing from the place she stands at the moment. She stepped closer to them. "I promise that I will take care of this as soon as possible." The chief said to Jason.

Jason nodded and walked back to Spencer. "What's going on? Why is she calling you?" Spencer asked him. He looks more suspicious than ever.

"I forget my wallet." Jason shows the wallet that he holds.

But the situation is just too suspicious for her. "How she knows your name?"

Jason shrugged nervously. "Maybe she looks the ID on my wallet."

Spencer looked at him. She still can't believe him. "Even she looked at your wallet; it is kind of rude to call you by your first name. You didn't know each other."

Jason chuckled nervously. "Well, I supposed she is an overfriendly chief with no manner, then."

"She said she promise to take care of something as soon as possible. What is she talking about?" Spencer asked again.

"Err." Jason is starts combing his hair with his hand. "The bathroom's floor cracks."

Spencer just watched him for a while. She still doesn't believe him, but he shouldn't have any reason to lie. And she already has a lot to think about. So she decided to let it go. "Let just go, okay." Jason immediately nodded and get into the car. Spencer is still walking to the passenger side, so she isn't notice that Jason let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars.

* * *

><p>Spencer and Jason drove from Hicksville back to Rosewood without stopping anywhere. They wanted to be back on Rosewood by the time the others get home from school. They're picking them out and gathers at Spencer's house. Spencer tells all the information that she collected at the psychiatric hospital, and her plan to go camping on Friday.<p>

From Spencer's house, Jason walked Aria to her home. These last few days since they are together, Jason always picked her up at school and walked her home. That's how they slip the time to be together more often.

Jason holds Aria's hand and stopped in front of Aria's home. "What is it? You've been quiet all the way here." Jason asked her, watching her.

Aria sighed and shook her head. She forces a smile on her face. "Nothing." Jason rolled his eyes on her, demanding an answer. "I was just thinking about Friday." Aria finally said.

Jason is putting his hand on her lower back and rubbing her softly. "You don't have to do that if you don't want to, you know." Jason said, comforted her.

Aria smiled at him. She knows that he is just worry about her. He is always thinking about her best. "It's not like that. I have to go. Spencer is right. This is the only thing that we know right now."

"But you don't have to go along if you don't want to. There are enough people that will go. They can just go and tell you about what they find." Jason said again, referring to the three friends and their companion that will come along.

Aria nodded in smile. "I know. But it isn't about that. I'm involved in this too. I have to know." Aria said. Jason just sighed, but still holding her hand. Aria smiled at him seductively. "I was just thinking about the camping part. Just for your information, I'm not really an outdoor kind of girl, in case you're planning something for us to do."

Jason laughed and pulled her closer to him so he can whisper closely to her ear. "It is so fortunate that I'm not really an outdoor kind of guy too. The things that I planned to do with you are all an indoor activity." Jason said. "In bed." He added again.

Aria laughed and hit his arm playfully. Jason laughed with her and leaned in forward to give her a kiss. That's when someone comes to them. "In case you don't realize it, this is still a public place until you step into the house." Mike walked to them.

Jason laughs and pulled away from Aria and turned to Mike. "Hey man."

Mike smiles at him and shakes his hand. Jason is really helping Mike a lot through his rough time. So they grew closer like brothers. It definitely helps that he and Aria is an item now. "Good timing you're here, Jason. There is something that I need to talk to you about." Mike looks at Aria. "Can I borrow him for a while?"

Aria turned to Jason and smiles. "Fine. Just don't forget to return him to me." Aria said.

Jason smiles back at her. "Don't you worry about that. I'm tethered to you, so I will always come back to you." Jason said.

Aria is blushed while Mike raised his eyebrows on them. "I swear you two are so obnoxious sometimes." Mike said and walked into the house. Jason and Aria laughs. Jason follows Mike to his room.

"So what are you wanted to talk about?" Jason asked him, as soon as Mike closes the door. Jason sat on the chair in front of the bed, while Mike walked past him and sits on the bed.

Suddenly Mike's expression becomes serious, it makes Jason feels alert. He keeps watching Mike. "My parents make me return all the things that I stole and apologized with them all. But I was forgetting one thing. It is one candle lamp. I know all the things that I stole. It was belongs to Officer Reynolds. I don't want to come to his front door and apologized to him in person. I don't know what happened, but I know that he and Aria doesn't exactly get along. God knows why Aria has a problem with a police officer." Mike didn't realize that Jason rolled his eyes. "So he might not really fond of her brother, who stole his thing. So I sneaked into his home."

Jason widened his eyes. "You sneaked into Garrett's house?"

"I won't get caught. I've been there before, you know." Mike said.

"What happened then?" Jason asked again.

Mike sighed and rubbed his neck. He looks nervous. "I think I'm going crazy." Mike said, quietly. "I couldn't say this to anybody. I don't know who else to tell. My family has been through enough. I don't want to make them more troubled."

Jason locked his eyes on Mike. "Mike, what happened?"

Mike who was keeps locking his eyes on the ground, raised his head and looked at directly to Jason. Jason could see the fear in his eyes. "I see dead people."

Jason watched him and laughed. Mike rolled his eyes on him with an angry expression. Jason also notices it. "You're not kidding?"

Mike sighed. "Unfortunately no."

"Tell me what happen." Jason said.

Mike rubbed his neck again. Jason could see how nervous he is. "I saw your sister." Mike said.

"What?" Jason widened his eyes.

Mike scoffed. "I know. That was impossible, right? Your sister is dead." Mike said, more to himself than to Jason.

Jason moved from his chair to Mike's side. "You see Ali?"

Mike turned to Jason. "I'm making sure that Officer Reynolds is already leaving the house when I sneaked in. I learned about his work schedule. I was planning just to drop the candle lamp and get out of there. Luckily I heard some noise. So I was able to hide behind the couch. Someone is already there when I arrived. She was just about to leave. Your sister walked out from the front door." Mike said. "But that couldn't be your sister, because Alison is dead. So I must be going crazy." Mike said again, covering his face with his hands.

Jason pat Mike's back. "I'm sure there must be some explanation of that." Jason said. Mike let down his hands and looked at Jason again. His eyes asked Jason what could possible explains that situation. "You sneaked into other people's home; you must be not turned on the light. It was dark. Maybe she is just someone that looks like Ali." Mike just silent for a while, absorbing what Jason said. That makes sense. "You aren't crazy." Jason said to him.

Mike sighed. "Thanks." He smiled at Jason. "I'm supposed you were right. It was pretty dark that day. I must have been got the wrong impression of her." Mike said. "But what is she doing in there? And who is she? Why she sneaked into Officer Reynolds' house?"

Jason rubbed his neck. He is the one that looks nervous right now. "Are you able to drop the candle lamp?" Jason asked. Mike nodded confusedly. "Good. You can forget about it then."

"What?" Mike asked.

"It wasn't your business. You don't have to think about that. That candle lamp is dropped off. You don't have think about anything else. Just forget about that like it was never happened." Jason said to him.

Mike knows that what Jason says is make sense. It wasn't any of his business. And he already had enough of problems. "I guess you're right. I should just forget about that." Mike said.

Jason nodded. "That chapter of your life is over. This is the time to move on. You should get a life." Jason smiled at him. "By that, I mean is getting a girl." Mike looked at Jason and laughs. "You should ask that Amanda out on a date."

Mike is still laughing. "We'll see about that." Mike said. Mike is definitely happy that Aria is with Jason now, because Jason is already like a brother than he doesn't had. And Jason actually wants to spend time with Aria's family.

From Mike's room, Jason walked to Aria's room. He knocked at the door but immediately opens the door and peek his head into the room. "Are you decent in there?"

Jason saw Aria is standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her waist. "Of course I'm decent. Why I wouldn't be decent?" Aria frowns.

Jason smiled and stepped into the room, closes the door behind him, and wrapped his arms around Aria. "Because I'm expecting you to be." Jason whispered in her ear.

Aria giggles and turned her head to face him. She leaned forward for a kiss. A kiss that started sweet but deepened. Aria can feel the taste of his mouth, the feel of his lips and tongue against hers, the knee weakening way that he pulled at her lower lips. They shared a smile. Their eyes connecting with each other as Jason guided them to the bed. They are lying on the bed side by side. Aria moved closer to him. Her hand reaching for the back of his neck and her fingers is playing with the back of his hair. Jason's hands tightly wrapped around Aria as he kissed her hard and passionate. They are just making out for a few minutes.

After that, they are just cuddling with each other in silence. Aria lie in Jason's chest as she looked at ceiling while Jason playing in her hair.

"So what is that Mike wanted to talk to you about?" Aria said as she plays with his fingers.

Jason gives her a half grin. "I won't tell you a thing. Don't you ever heard a saying bro's before ho's?"

Aria sat up and watched him. "So I'm a ho now? You are so not getting any." Aria frowns.

Jason immediately raised his hand and pulled Aria back into his embrace. "Who am I kidding? I'm a ho's before bro's kind of guy." Jason said.

Aria laughs. "Then I don't mind being a ho." Aria also said to him. Aria turned to face him and give him a quick peck before lie on Jason's chest again. "Seriously though, is everything's okay with Mike?" Aria is always worrying about Mike since the incident. He is her little brother.

Jason's face also turned serious. "Don't worry. He is fine. There is nothing wrong about him. He is just wanted to talk to me about Amanda." Jason said to her. Aria nodded out of relief.

Aria sat up again and faces Jason. "There is something that I've been meaning to talk to you about. I keep forgetting it."

Jason also sat up with furrow eyebrows. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about college. You know, it is my senior year and all." Aria said. Jason nodded. "Actually I've been thinking about this even before we were together."

"What you have in mind?" Jason asked.

"English major." Aria said. As soon as she said it, Jason understands what she was trying to say to him.

"So it's Hollis?" Jason asked.

Aria looked at him and nodded. "I have to think about Hollis. That is the best for English major around here." Jason nodded. "When I still with Ezra, I don't really have much choice. He teaches there and he lives here. It is almost impossible for me to choose other college." Aria said again.

Jason narrows his eyes. He understands her. From what she was trying to say, she didn't want to go to Hollis. "Where do you want to go?"

Aria locked her eyes on Jason. "New York."

Jason widened his eyes. "Seriously?" Aria nodded.

Aria shifted away from Jason as she plays with her hair. He knows that Aria is nervous. "I know we haven't really talked about this kind of stuff. We're just getting together. Maybe it is too early for us to talk about the future."

Jason pulled her closer to him. "Hey. It isn't too early. I've said it to you before. I never gonna let you go. So you stuck with me, for now or later in the future." Jason smiles at her. She smiles back as she let out a sigh of relief. "But we do have to talk about this. New York." Jason said.

Aria nodded. "I know it wouldn't be fair to ask you come with me to New York. You're just move back here. You have a life here. So I've been thinking – we're doing so well, you know. I think we aren't gonna have problems even if we're apart. It will be tough, but we can get through it."

Jason shook his head. "I don't have a life apart from you. I know that now." Jason reached for her hand. "We can go to New York together. Starts new." Jason said.

Aria smiles as she took Jason's hand in hers. "Really? You're gonna go to New York with me?"

"I'll go anywhere with you." Jason said again, caressing her hand. Aria smiles a little, but then suddenly her expression changed. "What's wrong?"

Aria shook her head as she sighed. "I was just thinking about the others. How can we leave them to rot in Rosewood with A?" Aria said with a sad expression.

Jason pulled her hand and forces her to look at him. "I think we really should leave this town as far as possible."

"Jason." Aria glared at him. "You know we can't do that. You know now what A is capable of. My family is here. All of our loved one is here." Aria said.

Jason sighed and let go of Aria's hand. "I know." Jason looked at Aria. "It just – I know everything now what you girls had been through this whole time. It is dangerous. This is getting ridiculous, Aria."

Aria reached out for Jason's hand. "I know it is. And I know how dangerous it is. But we don't have another choice. A has been taunting us this whole time. But A has a point. Ian didn't kill Ali. I think we owed it to her to found out the truth. So we can protect everyone that we cared about."

Jason looked at Aria and nodded. He can see that she was determined about this. There is nothing that he says that will change her mind. "I'm sorry that I brought it up. I promise I won't say another word of this." Jason said.

Aria smiled at him. "I know that you're worried about me. You were just trying to protect me." Jason nodded. "Thank you." Aria said and kissed his cheek. "I really am appreciating all the things that you've done for us."

"I'll do anything for you. You know that." Jason said, quietly with a serious face before he pulled Aria into his embrace. Aria hugs him back with a smile in her face. She buried her face on Jason's neck so she couldn't see his worried expression.

Aria pulled away and looked at him. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"I'd love to. Maybe I could get back some dignity from your dad in chess." They are only been together for a few days. But Jason always comes for dinner at the Montgomery. Jason isn't just getting closer with Mike. Ella already liked him. And Byron starts to like him too. Before dinner, Aria will help Ella prepared the dinner in the kitchen, while Byron and Jason played chess on the living room. Mike is just watching the two guys and shakes his head. They are already like family.

Jason out his apologetic face, "But I can't." Aria rolled her eyes on him, demanding more answer. "I have counseling." Jason said again.

Aria took a glance at the clock on the wall. "At this hour?" Aria asked.

Jason shrugged. "He can only make it at this time."

"At least I know that he is a he." Aria said with a teasing smile.

Jason laughs. "And that is the most detail information that you can get. You know that this is supposed to be anonymous."

"Fine." Aria pretends to pout.

Jason smiles and pats her head softly before he sat up from the bed. "So I'm gonna get going. I'll call you later?"

Aria nodded and summoned him to give her a kiss. She giggles before Jason leaned down to kiss her lightly. "I love you." Aria said before Jason walked out from the room.

"And I love you too." Jason said back and walked out from the room. Aria is just staring at the door for a while. She can't shake the feelings that Jason is hiding something from her. And the statement that he made earlier of them to get out form Rosewood is just confirm her suspicious. She doesn't want to pry more of this. Honestly, she was afraid what she is going to find.

She was just about to walk out from her room when she heard that her parents are home when she notice Jason's phone on her bed. It must be slipped from his pocked when they were cuddling. She took the phone and put it on her jeans pocket.

* * *

><p>Aria stopped at Jason's front door and knocked. Jason opened the door after her second knocks. "Aria!" Jason looks so surprise to see her there, standing in front of him. "What are you doing here?"<p>

Aria likes that she surprise him. "Why? You don't happy to see me?" Aria said, teasingly.

Jason smiles nervously. "No! Of course I am." Jason leaned in to give her a quick peck. They always do that when they meet each other. "This is just – a nice surprise. That's all." Jason try to smile at her, but Aria still feel that he is a little tense. But she ignores the feeling.

"Spencer's parents are supposed to come home today. But Melisa had a little incident." Aria explained. "She fell down the stairs." Jason widened his eyes. "Nothing serious. She is just sprained her ankle." Aria quickly added.

"Thank God." Jason said.

"But the Hastings is still worried to leave her alone so they spend another night." Aria said again. Jason nodded. "We all decide that it is too dangerous for Spencer to spend the night by herself, so we're having another sleepover."

"I think that is a good idea." Jason said. Actually he feels more comfortable if the girls are having sleepover, because it is mean that they are together and they can look out for each other.

Aria nodded. "I just stopped by to return your phone." Aria took out Jason's phone from her jeans pocket and handed out to Jason.

Jason takes his phone from Aria. "I've been looking for this everywhere."

"I think it slipped out from your pocket when we're in bed." Aria said, teasingly.

Jason grinned. "Good times." But his expression is hurried changed. "Maybe you should hurry over to Spencer's house. The others will be worried if you're late."

Aria stepped closer to Jason. "I'm sure they know where I am if I'm late." Aria said, seductively. Aria is just about to lean in for another kiss when she heard a voice.

"Jason, do you mind if I used your hair brush?" Aria looked at the stairs that located in front of the door, so she has full view at the girl that standing on the stairs. Her hair is wet and just wearing Jason's shirt. She locked eyes with Aria. "I'm so sorry." She said.

Jason turned his head on her and back to Aria who looks so angry and hurt. He knows how bad this must be looked at the moment. Aria glared at him and stepped out angry from him. "Aria!" Jason immediately chased after her. Aria walked to Spencer's house and ignores him. Jason ran to her and grabs her arm. "This is nothing like it seems." Jason tries to explain.

Aria snapped out her hand free from Jason and turned to face him. Jason can see how mad she is right now. "Really? Because it is so hard for me to think otherwise right now, Jason. She is wearing your shirt!"

"There is nothing between us, Aria. Trust me!" Jason said, locked his eyes to Aria's. "I will never do anything to hurt you."

Aria's expression turned more softly. "Then tell me what's going on? Don't you think that I don't notice your strange behavior? You've been kind of distant lately. There is something in your mind that you're not telling me about." Aria stepped closer to Jason. "Look, Jason. I want to trust you. I really am. But you have to give me something here. Make me understand."

Jason shook his head. "I can't. Not now.' Aria sighed of disappointment. "I can only say that Megan is helping me with something. And it is nothing like what you're thinking. I would never cheat on you." Jason states.

Aria shook her head. "You have to give me something, Jason. How can you expect me to trust you when you don't even tell me what's going on? She was half naked in your house. It is so hard for me to believe you right now."

Jason looked at Aria. "Everyone can to not believe in me, but you can't!" Jason states. "When they all didn't believe in me, you're the only one that did. And that is enough for me. Don't stop now." Jason reached for Aria's hand. "Because of you, my life is complete. I love you, Aria. I always have and I always will. I can't tell you what's going on right now. But I'm not doing things that guilty to you. You have to trust me."

Aria is just silent for a while and watched him. She pulled her hand from him. "Trust is something that you have to earn, Jason. And right now, you aren't doing anything to earn it." Jason's face fell down as he looked Aria turned around and walked to Spencer's.

"Aria!" Jason isn't just gonna give up. "Aria!" But Aria ignores him and keeps walking to Spencer's. Jason is just standing there for a while and watched Aria's shadow disappearing into Spencer's house. He thinks about the event earlier that day.

***FLASHBACK***

He is just dropped the key on the kitchen table after he went home from Aria's house. Thank God he went home at the right time, because it is raining outside at this moment. He searched through his pocket for his phone, but he didn't found it anywhere. And he can't remember where he left it. But he needed it now to call somebody. So he is walking to the home phone. He is just about to dial some numbers when he heard knock from the door. He put down the phone and walked to the door.

He opened the door to his school mate form high school, Megan Lawson. She is wet because of the rain. "Megan! You're wet."

Megan smiled at him. "I picked the right day to forget my umbrella at home."

Jason laughs. That's when the dog that Megan brings barks at him. Jason smiles at the dog. "And who is this?"

Megan reached down to her also wet dog. "This is Larry."

Jason kneeled down to the dog. "Hi, Larry." Larry jumped on Jason and licked his face. Jason patted down its head. "Good boy." Just after he said that, Larry shaking water offs its body to Jason, so he is also getting wet.

"Larry!" Megan shouted at her dog. "Sit!" Larry listened to her command and sit. "I'm so sorry," She said to Jason.

Jason smiles at her. "I guess we're even now. We're all wet." Megan smiles back at him. Jason stepped aside to let Megan in. "Come on in. I'll get you a towel and a clean shirt." Megan nodded and walked into the house. Jason closed the door behind him. "Thank you for coming on short notice, Meg."

"I'm happy to. It's not a big deal. I'm involved in this too in case you're forget." Megan said.

Jason looked at her with a serious expression. "I don't mean it like that, Meg. Like I always said, that is not your fault." Megan nodded in smiles. "It just – you're one of a few people that really know our family. I don't know who else that can help me."

"Jason, I'll do anything that I can to help." Megan said.

"Thanks." Jason smiled. "I'll get you that clean towel." Jason gets some clean towel and get back to Megan. He handed out the towel to her.

"Thanks."

"And this is Ali's shirt. You could change into it while we dried your shirt." Jason handed out a pink shirt to Megan.

But Megan looks so uncomfortable and didn't accept the shirt. "Actually, I don't mind to wearing yours if that's okay with you." Jason looked at her. "It just – Ali's shirt and stuff –"

Megan doesn't have to continued, Jason nodded. "I understand. I will get you one of mine."

***END OF FLASHBACK***

Jason sighed one more time while watching Spencer's house. He knows that there is nothing that he could do at this moment. He should give Aria some space. He walked back to his house. Megan is sitting on the stairwell, waiting for him.

"Girlfriend?" Megan asked. Jason nodded in sighed. Megan watched his expression and can figures out what happened earlier. "I take it that it doesn't go well?" Jason glared at her for even asked. "You should've told her about this. I'm sure she'll understand."

Jason shook his head. "I can't." Jason turned to her. "Her name is Aria Montgomery. She was one of Ali's best friends."

"Oh." Megan nodded.

"You know why I can't tell her about any of this." Jason said.

Megan sighed at sat up. "Maybe it is the time for the secret to come out, Jason." Megan said. "There is no secret that can be kept forever."

Jason stared at him with a firm looks. "She is dead, Meg. Ali is dead. The only thing that we can do at this moment is honor her memory. Ali wouldn't be happy if her friends found out about the secret that she tried to bury so hard. She is my sister."

"She isn't the only one." Megan said. Jason glared at her. "I'm just sayin' –" Megan shrugged. Jason sighed. This isn't the road that he wants to walk through, but he doesn't have another choice at the moment.

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars.

* * *

><p>Aria walked into Spencer's house after Emily opened the door for her with angry stomps. Emily exchange glances with Spencer and Hanna who sits in the living room. They all are watching Aria. She comes late for their sleepover. They can guess where she went, considering her boyfriend lives next door. And her bad mood definitely have something to do with him too.<p>

"Are you fighting with Jason or something?" Spencer asked her bluntly.

Aria scoffed and throws herself on the couch. "I wouldn't call that a fight." The others exchange glances again and turned to Aria, waiting for her to elaborate more with the story.

Aria sighed and tells what happened to her friends. "I'm sure there must be some explanation about this." Emily said to Aria after she finished tells the whole story.

"Did you even give him a chance to explain it?" Hanna also said.

Aria glared at her two best friends. "You're not seriously defending him?" Aria asked with a disbelief tone. "There is a girl, half naked in his house, wearing his shirt!"

"That's when Jason's explanation is supposed to come in." Hanna said.

Aria rolled her eyes. "You don't even trust him in the beginning, now all of the sudden you all are pro Jason?"

"I was always pro Jason." Hanna said again. "Even when you're still dating Fitz." Hanna pointed Spencer and Emily. "You can ask the two of them."

Emily nodded. "She really is." Emily said. "So you can take it all on her." Emily added. Hanna glared at her while Emily smirks.

Aria looked at the two girls and sighed. They can't even acts serious about this. Jason really is starts to rub on them. "Listen, Aria." Spencer opened her mouth. "I'm the last person in the world that wants to defend Jason DiLaurentis."

"So don't." Aria said.

Spencer ignores her. "I know that he's been proved more than enough that we can trust him. But I still not sure whether I can trust him or not. I had a feeling that he is hiding something from us." Spencer said, remembering what happen at the psychiatric hospital.

"He is. He admitted that he is hiding something from me, and he doesn't plan on telling me." Aria said, still with an angry tone.

Spencer nodded. Aria's answer confirms her suspicious. "That's why I can't really trust him. What in the world that he want to hide from us in this situation? But one thing I do sure is that he loves you. I think he is also already proved more than enough that you're the only one for him, that he will do anything for you. He won't cheat on you."

Aria sighed as she shook her head. "I can't believe that you all are defending him."

"Aria." Emily is just about to say something else when Aria raised her hand to stop her.

"Can we not talk about this?" Aria said. She knows that her friends are right. She also can feel the love that Jason gives her. But sadly, that isn't enough for her at the moment. Aria looked at all her friends. "Let's just talk about Friday. So what's the plan?"

The girls exchanged the glances with each other and sighed. They knows how determined is Aria when she was like this. There is nothing they can say that will get through her now. "So I already get my permission when my parents called earlier." Spencer said.

"You are sure doesn't waste any time." Emily teased her. Spencer rolled her eyes on her, demands her answer too. "I'm free. I can go anywhere." Emily said.

Spencer turned to Hanna. "I already get the permission from my mom for both me and Emily."

Spencer turned to Aria for the last. Aria sighed and nodded. "I already told my mom. She was confused that I even considered of going camping. But it's all done."

"Good. The first step is done." Spencer said. She looked at the others. "We will go just after the school is over. Toby will pick me and Emily." Emily nodded. And then she looked at Aria. There is a doubt on Spencer's face. "Jason is supposed to drive you, Hanna and Caleb."

Aria stared at Spencer. "Change of plan, then. He's not coming." Aria said, firmly.

"Aria." Spencer is trying to persuade her.

"I'll go talk to my mom. I think we can use her car. It is Friday. She didn't need to go anywhere and my dad can pick her up after school." Aria said, before Spencer says another word.

Spencer sighed and nodded. "Fine." She thinks about Ella Montgomery's car. "We don't need Toby's truck then. We can all ride together." Spencer said. The others nodded in agreement.

"So what's the plan after we arrived there?" Aria asked their main problem.

Hanna nodded. "Please tell me that you already have a plan. We can't just search inch by inch on a thousand acres of woods." Spencer is just rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we should just wait until Josh comes back from his camping trip." Emily starts to back down.

Spencer glared at her. "We can't wait two weeks!" Spencer said. "This is the closest we've been to the truth. We can't give up now." Spencer looked at the girls. "I have a feeling that Josh can give us the answer that we're looking for. We just have to find him." The others exchange glances with each other. "I'll go by myself if I can." Spencer added.

Aria turned to her. "No. we're in together. We're gonna do it together or nothing at all." Aria said. They are look at each other and nodded.

"Aria is right. We have to do this together; because we know that no matter what will happen, we're gonna have each other's back." Hanna also said. Hanna reached for Emily's hand while Emily reached for Aria and Aria reached for Spencer's. They are never feeling closer to the truth than right now. They are sure that they will get the answer this time.

* * *

><p>Friday is come so fast. Aria stepped out from the school to the parking lot because they all are supposed to meet there. When she walked into the parking lot, she notices Jason who was standing there. Jason is always standing there in the last few days after the school is over. And Aria keeps ignoring him. But there is something different about him today. Aria notice the bag that right beside him.<p>

Aria walked to him. "What are you doing here?" Aria is pointing to the bag. "And what is that?"

Jason rolled his eyes on her. Jason knows that Aria knows why he was bringing a bag. "Today's Friday."

"And you're not coming." Aria walked past him, makes him turned around and followed her.

"I can't let you go without me. It is too dangerous." Jason said tries to get some sense into her.

Aria stopped walking and looked at him. "And I can't spend a few days stuck with you with nowhere else to go." Aria said.

Jason sighed. "Aria." Jason knows that Aria is still angry with him.

And Aria knows that doesn't make Jason less worried about her. "There are six of us. I'm not going alone. Hanna went camping all the time. So you don't have to worry."

Hearing Aria's words, he knows that she still cares about him. No matter how angry she is, she was still doesn't want him to be worried. Jason rubbed his neck out of frustrations. "You know that I don't cheat on you. You know how much I love you."

"And clearly that wasn't enough for you to tell me what is that you've been hiding." Aria said with a sad tone.

Jason reached for Aria's hand. "You know I will never hurt you, Aria. Can you just trust me?"

Aria rolled her eyes on him. "I trust you!" Aria stated. Aria pulled out her hand. "It is you that doesn't trust me." Aria added.

Jason sighed again while he shook his head. "It isn't like that, Aria. Of course I trust you."

"But?" Aria added before Jason can ever say it. Jason rubbed his forehead. Aria sighed. "Lately our conversation always ended up in nowhere. I'm tired, Jason." Aria looked at Jason. "Maybe you should take some time apart."

Jason stared at Aria. "I can't believe you even considered that. After everything that we've been through to be together, you're just gonna give up on us? Is this really the end that you wanted?"

Aria stared back at him. "Of course not!" Aria shouted at him. She was mad. "I love you so much, Jason. You were the first boy that I fell in love with. And finally, after all of this time, we're together. It is like a dream." But more than ever, she feels hurt. She looked at Jason. "But this is real life, Jason. We can't keep living in the dreams. I can't pretend like nothing happened when I know that you're hiding something from me."

Jason really couldn't say anything at the moment. "Aria." Just her name. Jason is trying to reach her hand again, but she pulled away.

Aria spotted Spencer, Hanna and Emily also Caleb already gathers at the parking lot. And she saw Toby walked by across the street. "Let's talk again later, after the camping trip." Aria said when she sees them walking to them.

"We're really had to go." Spencer said pointed her watch.

The others just nodded. Caleb patted Jason's back. "Hey man. You're coming?"

"No, he isn't." Aria said. "Let's go."

Toby also gives Jason a pat on his back. "I'm sorry, man. Hang in there." Toby said. Caleb just nodded. The three of them get along just fine. After his sort of fight with Aria, Jason seek companion from them. Caleb and Toby literally are his best friends at the moment, considering Ian is dead and Garrett is their person of interest.

Hanna and Emily gives Jason an apologetic looks before jumped into the car. Aria already jumped into the car before them. Spencer just looked at him and sighed. Caleb and Toby shakes his hand before walked to the car.

"Hey guys." Jason called them before they can get into the car.

"We know." Caleb said before Jason can say anything.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We're not gonna let anything happen with any of the girls." Toby also said.

"We'll protect Aria too." Caleb said again.

Jason nodded in smile. He loves how he could just look at them and they already understand him. He never has that before. "Thanks." Jason said before Caleb and Toby get into the car and drives away.

They drive about four hours until they finally arrive at the Middleton Woods. They are arrives after sunset. The day is almost dark. Usually a search should be done when it's day time. But Hanna thought their chances of finding Josh is bigger when it's nighttime, because he'll be sleeping and stay at a place.

"I tie three ropes. Each of them is a hundred meters long. So if any of us lost, we can always found our way back here. We're gathering here again in an hour." Hanna explains the plan to them all. Hanna already ties three ropes to a tree so they won't get lost.

And they search in groups. Hanna with Caleb, Spencer with Toby and Aria is with Emily. Aria and Emily walked through the dark woods hand in hand. Emily went camping before. Once. And Aria never went camping so the two of them are actually frightened to go deep in the woods.

"Are you sure we're going on a straight line?" Aria asked.

Emily sighed. "I think so." Emily said. Emily can feel Aria is rolling her eyes on her. "Just keep walking, okay?"

They are just about to walk again when Aria heard a voice. "Is that Spencer? She is screaming." Aria said.

"It is just a wind." Emily said.

"I heard her." Aria insisted.

"I heard it too. It is just a wind. Can you feel how cold it is?" Emily also insisted. But she can see how worried Aria is. "She is with Toby. She is fine. And if something happened to them, they will light the flare." Hanna distributed flares to them all in case something happened. Aria stared at the skies, waiting on flare. But there is nothing in it.

"Maybe it is just wind." Aria said, finally. They already waited for a few minutes and still no flare. They are supposed to light the flare if something happened. Aria decided that she heard wrong. "Let just continue." Emily nodded.

They are walking again until the end of the rope. So they are already walking for a hundred meters. "Is it one hour already?" Aria turned to Emily.

Emily looked at her watch. "It is almost two hours. They must be freak out." Emily said.

"Let's go back."

They are holding on the rope to their original place. But when they arrive there, none of them returned yet. "Are you sure it is already more than one hour?" Aria asked.

Emily sighed. "We're going at nine. Now it's almost eleven." Emily said.

"They are supposed to be here." Aria said. There is a worried tone in her voice.

"Maybe they are just running late, like us. Or maybe they found Josh. Just don't jumps into conclusion yet." Emily said, before Aria could say anything else.

Aria stared at Emily. "I didn't say anything." She protested.

"But you're thinking of it." Emily knows Aria so well.

Aria sighed. "Can you blame me considering our luck?" Aria said. "I'm worried."

Emily reached out to Aria's hand. "Me too." Emily said. "Just wait for a little while, okay." Aria nodded.

They are just sitting under the tree and waited for the others to come back. They are just sitting there in silence. They don't want to admit it to each other, because they don't want to make each other worried but they both had a bad feeling. Time passed by but there are no sign of them.

"How long has it been?" Aria breaks the silence.

Emily doesn't have to look at her watch to answer that. "More than two hours." She said.

"Let's just pulled the ropes. If they are still holding on the ropes, they will feel it." Aria said. And then both of them pulled each of the ropes until the end of it. There are so sign of their friends yet.

"Why they are let go of the ropes? Hanna said we couldn't." Emily raised her voice.

Aria sighed. "Can we officially worry now?" And then she remembered what happened earlier. "I told you that was Spencer's voice, not the wind." Emily nodded in agreement. "We should get help." Aria turned to Emily again. "What time is it?"

Emily took a glance at her watch. It's already after midnight. "Late. Time for people to sleep. Where can we get help at this hour?" Suddenly she thinks of someone. "Call Jason."

Aria rolled her eyes on her. "What?"

"I remember Ali told me once. Jason camped. He is the best chance we have right now." Emily said.

Aria scoffed. "I'm not calling him."

Emily stared at Aria. "Aria, this is more important than your little triumph with him. They could be in danger. Call him." Emily said.

Aria sighed. She doesn't want to call Jason. She is still mad at him. But she knows that Emily is right. Jason is the best chance they have at the moment. She took out her cell phone and dialed his number.

Jason picked up in her second tries in slurry voice. He is sleeping. "Aria?" Even thought she hasn't say anything, there is already a worried tone in his voice.

And hearing his voice makes her realized how worried she is about her friends. "Hanna, Caleb, Spencer and Toby are missing." Aria said. "We don't know what to do."

She can hear that Jason sat up. "Please tell me that you bring GPS."

"Yeah, we did. Hanna made us." Aria said.

"What's your coordinate?" Jason asked. Aria looked at her GPS and gives Jason their coordinate. "Do me a favor and stay where you are. Don't go anywhere 'till I come. I'll be right there."

"Okay." She said quietly.

"Aria, everything will be okay. I promise." Jason said, because he knows how worried she is.

Hearing that make her calms a little. "Just hurry." She said again. She can feel Jason smiles and nodded at her. She hangs out the phone and looked at Emily. "He's coming."

* * *

><p>They are just kept sit there in silence for at least two hours when they hear a voice. "Aria!" Jason called her. Aria and Emily immediately sat up and tries to look in the darkness. They shine their flashlight on every direction.<p>

"Jason?"

Aria let out a sigh of relief when she saw Jason running towards them. He immediately pulled Aria into his embrace. But only for a minute before he pulled away and looked at observes Aria's entire body. "Are you hurt?" Aria shakes her head in smile. He pulled her again into his embrace. "Thank God you're okay."

They didn't realize anything anymore that time, only each other. Until Emily coughs to hit them back into reality. That's when Jason notices Emily too. "How about you? Are you okay?"

Emily sighed in smiles. "We're good. Thanks for asking." She said, teased him.

Jason ignores her. "How long they've been missing?" Jason asked both of them.

"We should gather here about four hours ago. But none of them shows up." Emily explains.

"We heard Spencer's voice. She is screaming." Aria added.

Emily rolled her eyes on Aria. "We think – we heard Spencer's voice. We're not so sure." Emily revised what Aria said. Jason rolled his eyes on her. "The distance is too far. And this is the woods. It could be just wind shrinking." Emily said again.

Just after she said that, they heard a scream coming not too far from their place. "That is absolutely not the wind." Aria said, directly to Emily. "That is Hanna."

"You two stay here." Jason said to Emily and Aria.

"What? No way!" Aria protested.

"They could be in danger." Emily also protests.

Jason stared at the both of them. "That's why I'm going alone. I won't let any of you be in danger too." Jason said. Both Aria and Emily sighed. "Just stay here. You'll be safe here."

"But –" Aria is just about to protest more.

But Jason doesn't let her. "No, Aria. Please just listen to me for once. Just stay here."

Aria looked at Jason and sighed. "Fine."

Jason looked at Emily. She nodded too. "Bring them back."

Jason nodded and looked back to Aria. "Be careful." Jason squeezes her hand before he walked away. He walked toward the source of the voice. He can feel the wind is getting stronger. The air is getting chilly.

* * *

><p>He walked until the end of the woods. "Hanna?" He almost didn't see the silhouette that lying on the ground because it is too dark. But he recognizes the shapes.<p>

"Jason?" He heard Hanna's voice. "Help!"

Jason immediately ran toward her. When he is closer to her, he can see that she is lying on the floor in the edge of the cliff. Her hand is holding a rope for somebody who is hanging on the edge of the cliff. He looked down the cliff and see Caleb. "Caleb?"

"Hey man." Caleb forces a smile in his tired face. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now. I can barely hold on anymore." Caleb said.

Hanna let out a groan. She is a girl, so it is too heavy for her to carry Caleb's weight. Jason takes over the rope from Hanna. He is surprise when he felt the weight. "My arm is about to fell off." Hanna said as she tries to massage her right arm.

Jason looked at Hanna. "What happened?"

Hanna shook her head. "I have no idea. The ones that know what happened are in the bottom of the cliff. I just try to pull them all."

Jason looked back to Caleb. "Caleb, reach for my hand. Just let go of the rope and hold my hand."

Caleb shook his head. "I can't. You're just one person. You're not strong enough."

"What?" Jason looked at him, confused.

"It isn't just me. You can't see them because it is so dark down here. But I am carrying four persons down here." Caleb said.

Jason widened his eyes. He can guess that two of four are Toby and Spencer. But what about the other two? "What happened?" Caleb is just sighed. So he looked back to Hanna.

"You really want to care about that now?" Hanna said, sarcastically.

Jason knows that Hanna is right. The important thing right now is pulled them all. Caleb looked at Jason again. "There is nothing you could do right now. Just call for help."

"It's three o'clock in the morning. Where you are expecting me to find help?" Jason said.

"The rangers?" Caleb suggested.

"I just come from their office. There is nobody there." Jason said.

"Crap!" Caleb swore. "What do we do? I can't hold on till morning."

Jason shook his head out of frustration while he assessed the situation. One idea comes across his mind. "How deep is the cliff? Is anybody hurt?"

"I can't see the bottom of the cliff. It is really dark. We're trying to shine it with the flashlight, but nothing." Caleb said. "Spencer's hurt." He said again. "And I don't know how bad she is." Caleb said again before Jason can ask.

Jason sighed and looked back to Hanna. He took out his GPS from his pocket. "Hanna, Aria and Emily are in this coordinate. Go there and get the ropes. But don't let them come here."

Hanna looked at Jason. She can see that he is planning something. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going down."

* * *

><p>"Aria! Emily!" Hanna goes to the coordinate that Jason gives.<p>

"Is that Hanna?" Aria heard her voice.

Emily nodded. "Hanna!" Both Aria and Emily shouts back to her.

Hanna followed their voice back to the original tree that they are supposed to gather. When both of them see Hanna, they immediately run to her. "Hanna! What's going on?"

Aria looked at behind her. "Where are the others?"

"It's kind of long story and we're on the clock right now." Hanna walked past them to the tree. "Help me untie them. Jason needs it." Hanna said while she untie the ropes.

Emily and Aria immediately help Hanna to untie the ropes. "What the hell that happened? Why Jason needs it?" Emily said as she handed out the ropes.

"Nothing." Hanna said. "You two just stay here, okay. We're taking care of it."

Aria pulled Hanna to face her. "Hanna! What happened?"

Hanna sighed. There is no way that she could hide this from both of them. "Spencer and Toby fell down the cliff with two other persons. We have no idea who they are." Hanna said. "Caleb is trying to help but he isn't strong enough. How can anyone expect him to pulled up four persons?" She almost screams. She is having a panic attack.

Aria put her hands on Hanna's shoulders. "Hanna, calm down!" Aria said.

Hanna took a deep breath and looked at her best friends again. "I heard Spencer's scream." Aria rolled her eyes on Emily. "We get there as soon as we can. But when we get there, Toby is already hanging out on the edge of the cliff. He almost fell down. So Caleb immediately reaches for him. We didn't know that Toby was holding on three others persons. Caleb is supposed to pull them, but he is the one that getting pulled. I have to act fast. I reach the rope from my backpack and tie on the nearest tree. But I didn't tie it strong enough so I have to hold it my hand too." Hanna shows her hand with a red mark because of holding on a rope for too long. "Thank God Jason come."

Aria looked at Hanna. "What is he gonna do with the ropes?" Aria pointed the ropes that Hanna is holding. "You already had a rope."

Hanna sighed again. She hated sometime of how smart Aria is. "There is nothing he could do over the cliff. He is going down."

"What?" Aria widened her eyes. She can't believe that Jason would so something so stupid.

"We have no other choice. Caleb could barely hold on anymore. And Spencer is hurt." Hanna said. "We don't know how bad she is." Hanna said again when she sees her friends' expression. "Jason is the only chance we have."

Aria grabs one rope from Hanna. "Lead the way." Hanna doesn't even to try to prevent her from coming; she knows that there is nothing she can do to stop her.

* * *

><p>Caleb already said that they already try to see the darkness in the cliff with a flashlight, but he still shine the cliff to look more. Unfortunately Caleb is right. "I can't see anything."<p>

"I told you so." Caleb said.

And then Jason heard a sound coming from the bushes. "Hanna?" Jason shines her direction. "Do you bring the ropes?"

Hanna nodded. "And other things."

Jason looked at behind Hanna and saw Aria and Emily followed behind her. "Aria?" Jason looked at Hanna. "I told you not to let her come here."

"You think I can hold her?" Hanna said.

Jason sighed. Aria walked closer to him. "You can't go down."

Jason looked at Hanna and Emily. "Help me tie the ropes on the tree." Jason looked back to Aria. "This is the only way."

Aria shakes her head. "There must be another way beside of jumping down the cliff. It's too dangerous."

"I can't think any other way right now. Time is so precious at the moment. We have to act fast. We have no idea how bad Spencer is hurt." Jason said.

Aria sighed. She knows that he really is has to do this. There is no other way right now. But she is afraid for him. "I can't lose you."

Jason reaches for Aria's hand with his free hand. His one hand is still holding on the rope. "You won't. I'll come back to you. I always will. And I will bring them back." Jason said. Aria nodded.

"It's done." Hanna said.

"Are you sure it's strong enough?" Jason looked at Hanna.

Hanna rolled her eyes on him. She feels offended. "I'm a girl scout. I know how to tie a rope." Hanna said. Jason glances at the rope that he is holding. Hanna catches that. "I don't have enough time. That is the best I can do with such time."

Hanna and Emily walked to him. They take over Jason to holds the rope. Jason reaches for rope that just tie by Hanna. "Okay, then. I'm going."

"What can we do?" Emily asked him.

"Just make sure that Caleb is holding on." Jason said. Both Aria and Hanna nodded. He looked at Aria again. She stands beside him; make sure that the rope is strong enough. Jason pulled her into his embrace. "You know I love you."

Aria pulled away and shakes her head. "Don't say that. It's like you're saying goodbye."

Jason raised his hand and caressed Aria's cheek. "I just want you to remember that I love you so much. So I will never leave you. Don't worry." Aria nodded. Jason leaned in for a kiss. Aria can't even think their triumph for the past days and kissed him back. Jason smiled. He looked at the three of them and hikes down the cliff.

"He's gonna be okay." Emily said to Aria.

"I hope so." Aria whispered.

* * *

><p>Jason carefully climbs down the cliff. He went camping before. A lot of time. But he is only hiking for a few times. He leaves the fact that he isn't so good at that because he doesn't want Aria more worried than she already is. He climbs down along the line of Caleb's about two foot down until he reaches Spencer.<p>

"Jason?" Jason shines the flashlights onto Spencer. She was holding on to Toby's legs. Down there is very dark and the wind is a lot stronger, so they couldn't hear anything. "What are you doing here?"

"Aria called me." Jason observed Spencer carefully. "How are you doing?"

"I hit my head. It's not that big of deal. I'll survive." Spencer said.

Jason shifted closer to Spencer so he can examine her wound. He could see the wound in Spencer's forehead. "The bleeding had stopped. It's not that bad." Jason said to Spencer, who nodded at him.

"Just get us out of here." Spencer said again.

Jason nodded at her. "Hang in there." Jason moves away again and climbs down about two feet down until he reached the last person who hangs in the line. Jason reached Kristy and holds her while he climbs up. Aria and Emily help him too pulled Kristy up and then he climb down again to reach the next person.

"Hi. I'm Jason." He said to the guy, next in line, right below Spencer.

"Josh." He said. Jason widened his eyes. Joshua Thomas. Spencer really found him. But not in situation he expects her to be. But he sees the situation, it might be simple that it seems when he knows that it connected to this Josh.

Jason reached him and helps him climb up to the top. "This is Josh." Jason said to Aria and Emily on the top while rolling his eyes. Aria and Emily catch that and widened their eyes, but they pretend not to react with that.

"Don't you think I don't catch that." Josh said to all of them as soon as his feet touch the ground. "I don't know why you all looking for me. But that girl jumped down to catch me. She saves my life." Josh is looking at them all. "Can anybody tell me what's going on?"

"I promise you we will tell you everything. After we help out all of our friends, okay?" Aria said. Josh understands and nodded. Aria looked down to Jason. "Hurry up and get Spencer and Toby. Be careful."

Jason nodded and climbs back down to reach Spencer. "We found Josh." Jason said to her.

She sighed. "I don't know what to do. He is about to fall down the cliff. He is our only clue." Spencer said.

"But it doesn't mean you can just jump down without thinking about it." Jason said to her.

Spencer nodded. "I know it a little bit rushes. But he survives, isn't he?" Spencer said again. Jason scoffed. Spencer will never listen to anything he is saying.

"Just deal one thing at the time, okay? We can continue this, up, on the ground." Jason said. Spencer nodded in agreement. Suddenly they heard a creaking sound.

Spencer widened her eyes. She is scared. "That doesn't sound good." Spencer said to Jason.

Jason agrees with her. But he doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to make her worrier that she already is. He can see the scare expression on her face. He shifted his flashlight and shine up the hill. What he sees is scarier. The faster response that he can do at the moment is wrapped Spencer around his arms to protect her from the rocks that sliding down from the top. And the last thing he heard is Spencer's screaming in his ears before everything went black.

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars

And PLL continued...

* * *

><p>When he opened his eyes, the first thing he notices is how the sunlight hurts his eyes. He tries to moved, but all parts of his body aches. It is like all his bones are broke. He is trying to sit up, but his body won't let him.<p>

"Jason, honey. You're finally awake."

Jason turned to his right and saw her. "Mom?"

Jessica DiLaurentis smiled at him and caress his hair. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." Jason answered, feel the pain on his body. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

Jason closes his eyes. "It's kind of hazy."

Jessica reached for his hand. "Aria said you guys went camping. Accidents happen. But thank God you're okay." Jessica said. "You're really scares me."

Jason turned to her again with raised eyebrows. He never heard something like that from his mom. "Sorry?" And he has to make sure.

Jessica sighed. The fact that her own son didn't believe her kind of hurt her. "I know our relationship never been easy. And since Ali died, it gets worse. But you're my son and I care about you. I love you. I can't bear the thought of losing you. You're my only child left. So please, don't scare me again like that."

Jason narrowed his eyes on her. "You know I'm not your only child left, mom." Jason said with rolling eyes.

Jessica glared at him and let go of his hand. "Enough said. Ali was my only daughter."

Jason glared back at her. "You don't want to acknowledge her; it doesn't mean that she doesn't exist."

Jessica sighed out of frustration. "Can we not talk about this? You just awake. You need to rest."

Jason closes his eyes again and suddenly reality snapped. He doesn't know what happened to the others. Aria. He tries to sat up and reach for his phone. "What are you doing? You need to rest." Jessica said.

Jason turned to her again. "I'm just gonna check on the others really quick."

Jessica smiled at him. Oddly enough, she never sees her kid like this before. "Aria only went to get some more water. She'll be back soon." Jessica said. Jason let go of his phone and sat back on the bed. "You're been out for five days. And she's been here every single day. Never leave your side. She really cares about you. She really loves you. You're really lucky, Jason."

Jason scoffed. "I know." Jason looked at his mom. "It's sort of unbelievable, right? How someone like her could choose someone like me."

Jessica stared at her son. "I don't mean it like that."

Jason sighed. "I could see it in your eyes, mom." Jason looks away from Jessica. "Don't worry about it, though. I'm used to it. It doesn't matter."

Jessica stepped closer to him. "I care about you, Jason. You're my son. I've carried you for nine months. I love you. It's just – you've been on the wrong way for a long time. I'm just grateful that Aria can still see the real you, my sweet boy." Jessica said as she caressed his hand.

Jason looked at Jessica. It is kind of hard to believe her at the moment considering that tough relationship, but he also can see the real care in her eyes. "Thank you, mom." He said quietly.

Suddenly the door opened. Aria comes in with a jar of water on her hand. She looks surprise to see Jason already opened his eyes. "Jason! You're awake." She almost dropped the jar in her hand. Thankfully Jessica immediately grabs the jar from her. "I'm sorry." She said to Jessica.

Jessica smiled at her. "You guys talk. I'm gonna make myself busy by re-refill this jar." Jessica smirked and walked out from the room.

Aria immediately run to Jason and throw her body on top of him. She hugs him tightly until Jason let out a groan. And then she realized that her boyfriend is lying on the hospital bed. She immediately pulled away. "I'm so sorry."

Jason smiled at her He really is doesn't mind to be hurt a little when his girlfriend is hugging him. "I'm okay." He said to her. He can imagine how worry she is. She looks so tired. There are black circles under her eyes. It's like she hasn't sleep for a few days.

"You've been out for five days. I'm really worried about you." Aria said. She reached for Jason's hand.

Jason nodded with an apologetic face. "I'm so sorry that I've put you through that. I promise that I'll try my best not to do it again." He smirked at her. Aria returns his smile. "So, what happened?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember?"

"It's kind of fuzzy." Jason said.

"It might because of the drug. They gave you painkillers." Aria said. She looked at him. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Jason tries to revisit his memory of that night. One face immediately fills his mind. "Josh Thomas. We found him. I carry him up. And then, I went back to get Spencer." And then he remembered. "Spencer! How is she?"

"I'm fine. You save me." Someone answers him. Jason looked at the door and saw Spencer walking in with the same tired eyes. There's a bandage on her forehead, and in her right arm. But other than that, she looks fine.

"Thank God you're okay." Jason said as he sighed. He exchange glances with Aria. Aria understands what he feels, but Spencer isn't. Aria looked at Jason and knows that he wants.

"I'm gonna leave you two alone to talk." Aria said and walked out the room.

Spencer looked at Jason with raised eyebrows. She is curious but also anxious what Jason wants to talk to her about. Aria even had to gives them privacy.

"There is something that I've been meaning to tell you." Jason said. "I realized how short life is now. Anything could happen. We can easily die over there. You have to put your life on the line because I won't tell you what I know." Spencer raised her eyebrows. She knows that Jason is about to tell her what he's been hiding about. "I was wrong." Jason said to her. "I was trying to keep my sister's secret. I was trying so hard to protect her privacy. But she's dead. And she isn't coming back." Jason looked at her with an apologetic expression. "I never meant to do you any harm. I never thought that my silence will bring danger to all of you."

"Is this had anything to do why you're willing to sacrifice your own life to save me?" Spencer bluntly asks.

Jason raised his eyebrows. "What do you know?" He never thought that she knows something.

"I have my suspicion." Actually she's been thinking about this few times, but she never sure how to make sense the situation. But lately the signs are more clearly than ever. Jason was just about to sacrifice his own life for her. What is she to him? She is sure that Jason has no such feeling toward her. She knows how much he loves Aria. Spencer looked at Jason. "You and my dad keep fighting around. He tells me to stay away from you. And I know about the will."

"How do you know?" Jason asked.

"I overhear my parents talking about the will. And Ali asked some weird questions to Hanna's grandmother. I can put two and two together. I just didn't realize it until now. The more obvious is how my dad reacted when they finally found Ali's body. She was supposed to be just the girl next door." Spencer scoffed. "I can believe that I didn't realize it sooner with that many clues." Spencer braces herself and looked at Jason. "Was she – was Ali also my dad's daughter? Was she my sister?"

"Yes, she was." Jason said.

Spencer feels like she was hyperventilating. She can't breathe. "Oh my God!" And then she remembered. "And she's dead."

Jason immediately understands what's going on her mind. He reached for her hand. "Hey, you've been the best sister she could ever have. Even after she died, you still try to figure out who killed her. There's no regret, She was already your sister whether you know that you have the same dad or not. I supposed somehow it's meant to be. You two become best friend; even you don't know that you're related."

Spencer looked at Jason. She knows he is right. There is nothing that she could do more even if she knows about this. Alison DiLaurentis already her sister whether they're related or not. "Thank you."

"And there is another thing that I want to tell you." Jason said. But suddenly Jason closed his eyes. That makes Spencer panic. She immediately run outside and shouts for the doctors. Aria heard Spencer and starts to panic too. The doctor immediately comes to check on him.

"He's just falling asleep. He isn't well enough. He still needs plenty of rest." The doctor said to them. Both of them let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>The girls regroup at Spencer's house. Spencer told them about what Jason told her. "I can't believe that Alison is your real sister." Emily commented.<p>

"Maybe that's why you're the only one that always challenges her. You two are coming from the same person." Hanna also commented.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah, we're always talked that we're sisters. But it feels weird when you're actually related." Spencer turned to Aria. "And you know about this, right?"

Spencer notice Aria's straight face when she's telling them about the news. And considering her relationship with Jason, Spencer knows that she already know about this. Aria looked at her with an apologetic face. "I'm sorry that I never told you about this."

Spencer shook her head. "No. I got it. This isn't your secret to share. And it's big. I wouldn't tell me too if I am you." Spencer sighed. "It's just – too much to take it all in once."

The others are just about to try to comfort her, but suddenly Spencer's phone rings. Spencer took out her phone and stared at it. "Who is it?" Aria asked when she saw the looks on Spencer's face.

"I don't know. The number is blocked." Spencer said. The others shifted closer to her. Their bodies immediately tense. That is their reaction to a blocked number nowadays.

"Answer it." Hanna said.

Spencer slides her phone and answers it. "Hello?"

"Spencer?" Spencer recognizes the voice but she doesn't quite put the face with the voice.

"Yeah. Who is this?" Spencer asked.

"Oh, sorry." He said again with an apologetic tone. "The number must've been blocked. Hospital policy. I'm Josh Thomas."

"Oh hey, how are you?" Spencer let out a sigh of relief. They all are thinks that it could be A who is calling.

"Alive. Thanks to you." He answers with a chuckle.

Spencer scoffed when she remembered what happened. "I barely did anything. If Jason wasn't there to help us, we won't have a chance to have this conversation." Spencer said.

"Yeah, about that Jason. I call the hospital to get some news about how is he doing. He is sort of my savior after all. They told me his name is Jason DiLaurentis?"

Spencer rolled her eyes out of confusion. "Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It just, we have a patient here with the same DiLaurentis' name." Josh said again.

"What?"

"Yeah, Courtney." Josh confirmed. "And my co-worker told me that you come here looking for me? They said you know my cousin Ian. Is this had anything to do with Ian and Courtney? Because I swear that is has nothing to do with me. I didn't know."

Spencer can heard fear in Josh's voice. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows that Josh can give them some answer. "Wait, slow down. I think we have to talk about this in person so no one misunderstand anything." The others are just looking at Spencer. They are curious and confused.

"Fine. When do you want to meet?"

"We'll be there in three hours." Spencer said. She hangs up and looked at Aria. "Who the hell is Courtney?"

Aria raised her eyebrows. "How should I know?"

"She is a DiLaurentis. She is gonna be your in laws or something." Spencer said.

Aria glared at her. "Are you kidding me? Jason and I practically just had been together for about two weeks."

"It seems like you've been together forever, though." Hanna said too.

Spencer glared at Aria. "Anything? Courtney? Do you ever hear about her?"

Aria shook her head. "I don't even know someone named Courtney."

Spencer sighed. She sat up and grabs her car key. "Come on. We gotta go to Hicksville."

* * *

><p>They are arrived at Hicksville less than three hours. Spencer already fills in the girls on the way. As soon as Spencer turns off the car, they walked into the hospital to the nurse station. The nurse who is on call is the same nurse when Spencer went there a week ago.<p>

"You came back." She said to Spencer.

"And still looking for Josh Thomas." Spencer said to her.

"Hold on." She picked up the phone.

A minute later, Josh walked to them. "Let's talk outside." Josh walked outside, to the backyard of the hospital. "Okay. What do you need from me?"

Spencer turned to him. "Honestly, we have no idea what are you talking about. We go to you for answer." Josh rolled his eyes. He didn't even know these girls. What answer that he could possibly give to them? "There is something that I have to tell you." Spencer said to him. Spencer's expression looks so serious. That makes him cautious. "Ian is dead. I'm so sorry for your loss."

Josh gasped while he covers his mouth. "Oh my God. What happened? I was worried about him, because it's been a while since he returned any of my calls or mails."

The girls are looking at each other. They looked at Josh who looks so shocked, so they think it wasn't the right time to tell him about Ian. "We don't really know. The police are still investigating."

Josh shook his head. "I can't believe that he is gone." Josh looked at the girls. "We're both orphans. It's just the two of us. We're only have each other. He is the only family that I have. And otherwise."

Spencer rolled her eyes. "Ian was married to my sister."

Josh widened his eyes. "What? He was married?" Josh asked. They all are nodded. "No way. What about Courtney? I know that he really loved her."

The girls are looking at each other. "This Courtney, what can you tells us about her?" Spencer asked.

Josh looks so uncomfortable when they asked her about Courtney. "I really don't want to involve in this."

"Please." Spencer looked at him. "My sister is pregnant right now, with Ian's child. We need some answers."

Josh sighed. He looked at the girls. The last thing he wanted to do is involved himself in this situation. But when he looked at the girls, all he can sees are the persons who save his life. "Ian came to see me when the first time I worked here. That's how he met Courtney."

"And when is that?" Hanna asked.

"About three years ago. They have been together ever since, I think." Josh said. The girls are looking at each other. "I promise I don't know her age at the time. She wasn't my patient. If I know that she is underage, I won't let Ian anywhere near her."

"How old is she exactly?" Aria asked.

Josh looked at the girls. "She is the same age as you; I think, give or take." Josh said.

"Is she still here? Can we meet her?" Spencer asked.

Josh shook his head. "That's the thing. She runaway."

"When this happened?" Spencer asked again.

"A few months."

Spencer is remembering her last visit to this place, with Jason. She could make some sense now about Jason's weird behavior at that time. The weird hospital chief, she knows there is something about their meeting. Jason must've been talking about Courtney's escapement.

Spencer is just about to tell the girls about that when Josh talk again. "I think I have some pictures of her and Ian on my phone." Josh said. He could see their interest in Courtney DiLaurentis. He scrolls some pictures in his phone until he found one picture of Courtney and Ian. He handed out his phone to Spencer.

The girls shifted closer to each other so they can see the picture on Josh's phone. They immediately widened their eyes when they see the picture. "This is Ali." Spencer said to Josh.

"Ali is her sister. Well, twin sister." Josh said as he pointed to the picture of girl that looks like Ali. "You know Alison too?"

The girls are speechless. They can only look at each other with a surprise face. "Ali had a twin?" Spencer is the one that found her voice sooner than the others. She has another sister.

Josh nodded. "How long she had been living here?" Aria asked.

Josh shrugged. "She's been here even before I started to work here. They said she's been here since she is little."

Hanna suddenly gasped. She is remembering about a story that she heard from Ali. The girls immediately looked at her. "What?"

But Hanna looked at Josh. "Why is she here?"

Josh shrugged again. "I'm not sure. Like I said, she wasn't my patient. But I heard some stories about her. I don't know if they were true. But I doubt that. She looks like she really loves her. In fact, she is the only family that used to come here to see her. I never saw the rest of her family."

"What is it?" Hanna asked.

"The rumor is Courtney stabbed Alison when they were little. Alison almost died. Their parents had no other choice other than locked her in here." Josh explained.

They all are widened their eyes out of surprise, except Hanna. She heard that story before. And Josh's explanation just confirmed it. Hanna looked at Josh. "Thank you." And then she looked at the other. "I think we're done here. We should get back." They don't understand, but they trusted Hanna so they followed her back to the car.

"Are you gonna tell us what just happened?" Spencer asked her as soon as they all are inside the car.

Hanna looked at them. "Ali crashed one of my babysitting jobs once. She told some horror story to the kid that I babysit. She told him about the girl that stabbed her twin because she snatches a doll from her. Guess it wasn't just a horror story after all."

Aria looked at Hanna. "A doll?" Hanna nodded. "There is a doll in Ali's box that Jason gives to me."

They all are sighed. Lately everything is gets more confusing. They didn't just get answers, but more questions.

"You think this Courtney really stabbed Ali?" Emily asked.

Hanna shrugged. "There is only one person that can tell us this story."

Hanna looked at Aria. "The brother of these twins." Aria sighed. They have to see Jason.

* * *

><p>The four of them has been hang around at Jason's hospital room. They even tell Jessica DiLaurentis to go home so they can have some privacy. They've been waiting for hours when Jason finally opened his eyes.<p>

"Good. You're finally wakes up." Hanna said.

Jason looked at the girls. "What's going on" It is confusing for him to see that many people when he opened his eyes.

Spencer walked to him. "We went out to see Josh Thomas." Spencer said. And looking at Jason's expression, he already knows what happened. "He told us about Courtney."

Jason sighed. So Aria walked to him. "How long you think you can keep this secret from us?" Aria stared at him. She can't lie to herself, she feels betrayed by him.

Jason tries to sit up and reached for Aria's hand. He realized how angry she is at this moment. But Aria pulled her hand away from his reach. "Aria, please. I never meant to keep this from you." Jason looked at the others too. "From any of you."

"Alison had a twin. That's huge, Jason. You should've told us. You know how hard we're trying to look for answer, but still – you never said anything." Aria said. She doesn't shouts. But Jason knows how hurt she is.

"You owed it to us to tell us everything. We deserved the truth." Spencer stared at Jason.

"I swear that I didn't know that she is involved in this. She is supposed to be locked up in the hospital. They never told us that she is escape." Jason looked at Spencer. "Until that day when I come there with Spencer. I wanted to tell you about that. But I can't bring myself. You have to understand. Ali had been my only sister for a long time. My parents don't even let us talk about Courtney. And as the time passed, we used to thinks that she doesn't exist, until you've found out about Lindlemint Hospital. This is a disgrace in our family. They never even see her once in there."

"What happened?" Spencer asked.

"Courtney stabbed Ali when they were six. Ali almost died. Courtney is sick. So they locked her up and never talk about her anymore." Jason explains. That confirm Ali's story that Hanna heard.

"I told you thousands of times. She stabbed herself. Courtney is innocent. It's all Alison." The half naked girl who Aria saw in Jason's house suddenly walked into the room.

"This is really not the time for your accusation, Meg." Jason said to her.

Megan stared at Jason. "Like I said thousands time too, this isn't an accusation. I was there."

"What the hell happened here?" Aria asked both Megan and Jason. She is demanding an answer.

Jason looked at Aria. "The reason that I can't tell you about Megan is because she is involved with Ali and Courtney's situation. She used to babysit them both because I refused to take care of my sisters. She was there that night. Half asleep if I might add." Jason said.

"But I see clearly what happened. I was in the room, Jason. Alison stabbed herself." Megan said again.

"Why would Courtney willing to be locked up in some psychiatric hospital if she didn't do it?" Jason rolled his eyes on her.

"Because she loves Alison. She knows how much Alison needs attention. She will do anything for her." Megan said. She looked at Jason. "You know that. I'm sure deep down you know that Courtney will never hurt Alison."

Jason stared at Megan. "Ali is dead, Meg. You think that's fair? She wasn't here to defend herself."

Megan scoffed. "Clearly you already do all the defending. You already set up your mind about both of them. To be fair, Jason. Alison wasn't your only sister. Courtney is also your sister. And she is alive, alone, and probably scared by now. We still don't know where she is."

Jason let out a dry laugh. "I doubt that she is scared right now when she's been terrorized Ali's friends."

"What?" The girls catch the words that Jason used. They are confused about the fighting. But they understand the last one Jason said.

Jason looked at the girls. "Courtney is A."

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer : I don't own Pretty Little Liars.

Author's note: I think I could wrap this up in one or two more chapters. But for now, enjoy. I wrote the conversation between Ella and Aria just now. I just think that Aria shouldn't ever say that to her mom on the last episode of Pretty Little Liars. I could understand that she has strong feelings toward Ezra Fitz, but when she said that to her mom, I think that cross the line. Ella is nothing but trying to understand her. But Aria acting like a child. But considering that she is a child, I think we have to understand her. But Ezra? Anyway, enjoy…

* * *

><p>The girls all are looking at Jason with widened eyes. "What?"<p>

Megan looking at the girls and Jason with raised eyebrows. "What is A?" She is curious how the girls reacted with just one alphabet.

They all are ignoring Megan and focused to Jason. "She can't be A. How can she be A?" Hanna said.

"Yes."Emily agrees with her.

"We just found out about her. How can she know that much about us?" Spencer also said.

Megan suddenly coughs, make their attention back to her. "I don't understand what is this A that you're talking about. But she knows a lot about all of you."Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin and Emily Fields." The girls rolled their eyes, demanding more explanation. "She always talks about you when I was visiting her."

"Ali talks to her about everything." Jason said. "She always said Courtney is her personal deposit box. There are no place safer than her."

"Why is she trying to hurt us?" Hanna asked.

"What? That is impossible." Megan said. "She will never hurt any of your. She always said to me how lucky Alison was to have friends like you. All she wanted is get to know you. There is no way that she is trying to hurt you."

"Well, that's not true. We've been through a lot because of A. The things that she makes us do." Hanna protests.

"Just like Alison." Spencer said. Spencer looks drowned in her thought. "A never really hurt us." They all looking at her with a disbelief looks. "Think about it. She always threatened us, but never really does it. Just like Ali."

Aria, Emily, and Hanna looked at each other. They all are having the same expression on their face. They didn't agree with Spencer's opinion. "You can't be serious?" Emily asked to make sure. Spencer just shrugged. "I know it's overwhelmed that A might be your sister. The one that you never even met. But this is A, Spence."

"Could we just found her first before deciding anything? She's out there by herself. Alone." Megan said again.

"This is why I brought you in, Meg. You're the closest person to her beside Ali." Jason said. He looked at Megan. "Do you have any idea where she could be right now?"

Megan shook her head. "I already try to find her in all the places that I could think of. But still no luck."

Jason sighed. "She is dangerous. If we haven't found her soon, I have to call the police."

Megan glared at Jason. "She is your sister, Jason. She isn't some psycho. Why can't you give her benefit of the doubt like you give Alison?"

Jason glared back at her. "Because Ali almost died that day."

"She stabbed herself!" Megan shouted.

Jason looked at Megan. "Fine. I know my sister. She is capable to do something like that. But it doesn't make any difference. Courtney already locked up for years and Ali is dead."

Spencer looked at Jason. "I can see now how much you cared about Ali. I always thought that you hated each other." Spencer suddenly said. "Courtney is your sister too. She even looks like Ali. Why you can't love her like you love Ali?"

All eyes are looking at Jason. He feels cornered. "Because I don't know how!" He never thinks about that before. He just speaks his mind before he even knows what to think. The others look surprise to hear that statement from Jason. But they don't judge him, so they didn't say anything. "It had been the two of us for a while. Sometimes I forget that I have another sister." Jason looked at the others. "Ali was my only sister for years. My injured little sister." He added to Megan. "I was the one that stayed with my mom when Ali was brought to the hospital. Her clothes were covered in blood. I spent nights there, praying that she'll be okay. When she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she said is Courtney stabbed her."

Megan just about to protest again, but Jason raised his hand, stopping her. "When we asked Courtney what happened, she didn't say anything. She only gave us a creepy smile like she was proud of what she did." Jason looked at the others again. "I can't help but feel embarrassed. I don't want that kind of person to be my sister." Jason said with a sad tone. They can feel how guilty he feels because he felt like that toward his sister. "My parents admitted her to psychiatric hospital. She had been stayed there ever since. That is the last time I saw her."

"She really misses you." Megan said quietly. Jason raised his head and looked at Megan. "She talks about you sometimes. She asked Alison about you. But Alison never answered her. So she asked me. She wanted to know how you are. She cares about you. Just give her a chance."

Jason shifted his eyes. They all are can see the guilt that he feels. But he quickly shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter now. The important thing right now is find her, before she could do more damage." Jason said. "She is dangerous, whether you wanted to admit it or not. She is dangerous to other and herself. Maybe you were right, Courtney did this for Ali. But the needs to fulfill what Ali wanted; it isn't a good thing too. Who knows what else she would've done for Ali."

Megan sighed. She knows that what Jason said make sense. "I will try to find her again." Megan said.

Spencer, Hanna and Emily looked at each other. They notices that Aria hasn't said a word after Jason told her Courtney is A. They know that both of them are gonna need time to talk. "We'll help you." Spencer said. Hanna and Emily nodded.

Aria is just about to follow them, but Jason called her. "Aria."

Emily patted Aria's shoulder. "Just talk to him."

Hanna gives Jason a cue with her eyes to talk to Aria. Jason nodded. They all are leaving the room. Now there are only the two of them in the room. But none of them says anything.

That makes Jason frustrated. He wanted to know what is Aria thinking of. He can feel how angry and hurt she is right now. "Talk to me." Jason whispered. He still hasn't decided whether he wanted to hear this or not. But they never gonna get to the bottom of this if they aren't talk to each other.

"I don't know what you expect me to say." Aria raised her head and looking straightly to Jason, make Jason revised his mind about her being angry. She is furious. "I can't believe that you will keep this huge secret from me."

"I never meant to keep anything from you, Aria. I told you before; I don't like keeping secret from you. I always wanted to tell you everything." Jason tries to explain.

"And why didn't you?" Aria glared at him. How can he said that he doesn't want to keep secrets from her when he hiding this huge secret in his closet. Jason couldn't say anything else. The truth is, he did hide this from her, and form anyone else. He doesn't want anybody to know about this.

"You hide this huge secret from us. From me. Courtney is A. Your sister is A." Aria stated.

"I didn't know at first. I swear to you. I just found out these last couple of days." Jason said.

"But you do know later. And you're still keeping this from us. You know how we feel about A. But even so, it doesn't matter to you. Spencer, Toby and Caleb almost fall down the cliff for this. If you tell us from the beginning, none of this could have happen." Aria shook her head.

"I screw up!" Jason shouts. "I made the wrong choice and I'm sorry." Jason said. Jason looked at Aria. "I thought it was so important to keep Alison's privacy. I didn't know that it'll be like this. If I know, I will tell you from the beginning."

Aria looked at him with her teary eyes. He can see it in her eyes now. Furious isn't his biggest problem at the moment. "I thought I could always count on you for everything. You know our situation. What danger we're facing! But you're the one that put our lives in danger. You're the one person that should never lie to me." She was so disappointed in him.

"I'm so sorry, Aria. I was wrong. I'm sorry." Jason said. Jason handed out his hand, trying to reach Aria's hand. "Please, Aria. Forgive me."

Aria is just looking at him for a while with her wet eyes. And then she shook her head. "I can't. I don't know if I can trust you again." Aria turned her back on him and ready to walk out from the room.

There is nothing that Jason could do at the moment. He broke his leg, so he can barely move from the bed. The one thing he could do is shouting out her name. "Aria! Aria, please. Don't give up on us." Aria stopped and turned to him again. "After everything that we've been through, please don't give up on us. I love you, Aria. And I know that you love me too. So please."

Aria shook her head in tears. "I cheated on Ezra because of you. I eat my own guilt for him because I want to be with you. I stood up to my friends for you. You know why?" Jason couldn't say anything. "Because I love you. I don't care what other people thinks of you. I know you're worth it. Because I know that you're the one. But I'm not so sure anymore."

"Please, Aria. Don't do this. I made a mistake. I'm sorry." Jason keeps trying. He can feel that Aria is about to give up on them. And he can't let that happen.

"I think we better walk our own way from now on." Aria isn't holding her tears anymore. She let it stream down her face. "I'm thinking myself too high. I thought that I could stand by you through anything. But I can't. I'm sorry." Aria immediately opened the door and walked out from the room before Jason could say something anymore. But even so, she could hear him shouting her name from behind the door. She toughens herself and walks away.

* * *

><p>Aria immediately walked to her room as soon as she arrived at home. She doesn't even notice Ella said to her that she is heading out. Out of curiosity, Ella follows her. She worried for her daughter.<p>

"Hey. Can I come in?" Ella stopped in front of a half open door room.

Aria forced herself to smile and nodded. "Sure."

Ella carefully sits on the edge of her bed and observes her daughter. She is clearly been crying. Her eyes are red and she looks so tired. "Talk to me, honey. What's wrong?"

Aria looked hesitant for a minute before she shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm fine." She forced a small smile on her face.

Ella shifted closer to her. She knows that there is something happened with her, and she won't just gonna back down this time. Aria looks so broken right now. "Are you fighting with Jason or something?" Ella asked right away. When you boyfriend is lying on the hospital, you are supposed to looks sad, not broken like she is right now.

Aria raised her head and looked at her mom. Actually she really needs someone at this moment. Her eyes start to water. "No. We broke up."

Ella immediately embraces Aria before she broke down crying. "Oh honey, what happened?" Ella asked.

"He lied to me." Aria said between sobs. Ella wanted to say something but she holds it, because she knows that what Aria needs right now, is vent. So she let her be. "I trusted him. But he kept this huge secret from me. I gave him everything." Ella flinched when she said that. Aria also caught that. "Not what you think of, mom." Aria quickly said before Ella gets the wrong idea. And then she thinks of Ezra. Sweet and caring Ezra. "I did something awful to someone." Her tears stream even faster when she thinks of Ezra. "I hurt someone that loves me because I love Jason. And he just lied to me."

Ella looked at her. She wasn't sure whether she had to say what she is about to say. "Someone that you are talking about, it's Ezra Fitz, right?"

Aria widened her eyes out of surprise. She always thought that she was being careful and that now that relationship over, she never really thinks about that anymore. "How did you –? Mom, I can explain this." Aria immediately said before the situation turned to worse. She knows that she can't lie again right now.

Ella sighed and shook her head. "You don't have to explain anything, Aria. I don't even want to know. I'm just glad that it's over." Ella looked at Aria. "It is over, right?"

"Yes!" Aria immediately answers. She observed her mom. Ella doesn't look too upset about this, so she thinks she can ask more. "How did you figure that out?"

Ella scoffed. "I'm not stupid, you know." Ella said to Aria. Aria understands that Ella is disappointed in her because she was lying about Ezra and Spencer. "I saw Spencer and Toby in the diner once. Spencer orders roasted chicken while Toby orders grilled salmon. When their order came, Spencer gives Toby the mashed potato and Toby gives her broccolis. They like a couple." Ella looked at Aria. "The couple that has been through a lot and already understands each other so well. That hit me. Spencer couldn't be the one that has been with Ezra Fitz. So I think maybe you cover for someone else. And then I think about your other friend. Hanna and Caleb are inseparable. Emily is gay. That just leaves you. And that actually make sense."

"You aren't mad? I'm so sorry, mom. I never meant to hurt anybody. Especially you and dad." Aria said.

Ella shook her head and smiles a little at her. "I don't understand why that could happen. He was your teacher. That is inappropriate. That is just wrong. But then I saw you with Jason. I can see how happy you are with him. So I can't be mad anymore. It doesn't matter what happened between you and Ezra anymore. It's over. You're with Jason. And you're actually happy. Happier than I ever saw you." Aria has a question on the back of her head, but she wasn't sure whether it is okay to ask her mom. Ella could see the expression on Aria's face. "There is something in your mind."

Aria looked at Ella and decided. "Why you approved Jason and you hated Ezra so much? Is this about our age differences? Because Jason and Ezra, they are practically the same age."

"I didn't hate Ezra. I think he is a great guy. I'm sure anybody will be so lucky to get him. But that doesn't include my daughter. He was your teacher, Aria. Your mentor. He was supposed to teach you the good things. Parents can't always be there for their child. But we're trying the best that we can do. The rest, we trusted the teacher could teach our child anything else. You're young. That can be understood if you choose the wrong way. You still try to discover who you are, and that for that you might make a few other mistakes. But he should know better. He is the adult. And he was your teacher. Teachers aren't supposed to have a romantic relationship with their students." Ella explains. Ella looked at Aria. "It's different with Jason. Because I knew him since he was little. You two grew up together. I'll never think about your age differences with him. To me, he was the boy that sent you home on a blizzard day because you broke your heels."

Aria remembered that day. It is the first day of school when she was still on junior high. That is the first pair of high heels that she got. She still tries to get the hang of it. But the heels are stuck on concrete and when she tried to pull free, the heels broke. She almost fell down if Jason wasn't there and catches her. That is the first day Jason and Ali's family move into town. There is a blizzard that day, but Jason insisted on take her home because he was worried that she would lost on the blizzard because of her tiny figure. That was the exact words that he said to her that day. Thinking about that makes her missing Jason more than she already is.

Ella looked at her daughter again. "I'm sure Jason must have a reason for doing that, honey. Everyone can see how much he loves you. He won't just lie to you without any reason. I'm sure he has his difficulties. He won't just hurt you on purpose. He loves you." Ella said again.

Aria scoffed when she thinks of that. She understands that the needs that Jason feels to cover that secret. But she didn't understand why Jason prefers to still keeping this secret and led her and her friends in danger. "It doesn't matter whatever reason he has. If isn't because of him, none of this would have happened."

Ella raised her eyebrows. "Are you talking about the accident? Jason is the reason for this accident?" Aria immediately keeps her mouth shuts. She knows that she slipped. She wasn't supposed to talk about that. What if her mom curious about this and tries to find out? She knowing about any of this wouldn't do any good. Ella also understands when she sees the expression on Aria's face. She won't ever gonna talk about this. "Looks, I don't know what happened. But whatever it is, even it is Jason's fault, I think he already paid his share." Ella said, remembering that Jason is lying on the hospital.

Aria huffed. She knows that Ella was talking about the fact that Jason is the only one who had to be admitted to the hospital. "It never would have happened if he doesn't insist on keeps this secret from us. My friends are hurt because of what he did!" Aria starts to tear again.

"I get it." Aria raised her head and looked at her mom. "You disappointed in him. You're hurt because he wasn't supposed to be the one that hurt you. You feel betrayed." Aria looked at her mom. She can't believe that her mom can see through her like that. But she is her mom after all. She gave birth to her.

Aria's silence is actually a confirmation for Ella. She knows that she is right. "Honey, no one is perfect. What Jason did to you, I'm sure that he is sorry. I know you know that he isn't meant to hurt you. This is only proving that he isn't perfect, like the rest of us." Ella reached for Aria's hand. "In case you forget, he is the one that lying on the hospital bed right now while most of you walk away without a scratch. He is trying to make this right." Ella said. "Just calm down and think this through. I think what you have with Jason, is worth fighting for." Ella gives Aria's hand a little squeeze. "Are you okay to be alone right now? I have to accompany your dad for the faculty event. But I can stay if you want me to."

Aria shook her head. "No. Its okay, mom. I need some alone time to think, anyway."

Ella nodded. "Walk me out?"

Aria looked at her mom and smiled. "Sure." She stand up from the bed, linking her arm with Ella's and walked her out of the house.

After that, she walked back to her room. But she isn't the only one in there. Someone is there. She almost dropped her jaw when she sees her standing in her room. "Ali?"

The girl that looks like Alison smiled at her and shook her head. "Guess again." Even her voice is the same like Alison.

And she doesn't even to think hard. "Courtney."

She smiled again at her. "I figured you've found out about me."

Aria stared at her. She feels so weird. She knows that Alison is dead. And this girl that standing in front of her is her identical twin sister. But she can't help but feels Alison. Aria can feel Ali inside of Courtney. "We've been looking for you."

Courtney smirked at her. "I know about that too. I'm A, remember that? I know everything." Aria gasped.

Aria wishes this moment a hundred of times before. That they finally will stand in front of A and demand an explanation. But seeing Alison's face who standing in front of her, she can't help but wonder. Just like Spencer said. A isn't really actually trying to hurt them. She never had. In fact, she killed Ian to protect Spencer. But when she was thinking the things that she makes them do.

"I thought we cut the small talk about we're pretending that you aren't already know that I'm A." Courtney said again with a smirk on her face. She isn't just looks like Alison. She is even acts like Alison. If they didn't know there are two of them, they'll never figures out that they are twins.

"Why?" Aria doesn't need to explain what is that she is asking for. Courtney already knows for sure what is that Aria wanted to know.

Courtney stared at her. "I can give you the answer that you've been looking for. I'll tell you everything you wanted knows. There is no point in it, anyway. You've found out about me. The fun is over." Courtney said. Aria sees the changes in her expression. Suddenly the smirk is gone from her face and turned serious. "Just don't leave Jason." She said again. Aria widened her eyes. That is the words that she never expecting will come from Courtney.

"Seriously?"

"My brother had been through a lot. It wasn't something easy when you had Alison DiLaurentis as a sister. She was your best friend. You understand how hands full Ali could be. She gathered all our parents' attention. They barely had any time left for Jason. He's not really love to get high, you know. He just needs someone to care for him."

Hearing what Courtney said, Aria knows that she is care about Jason. And she understands him. This is the first time she saw any difference between her and Alison. Alison never really cares about Jason. She always used him. And Jason always let her because he loved her. And for Jason, Alison was his only sister. His injured little sister.

"You really care about him." Aria said to him. She can't help but feeling surprise. The A yang she had on her mind isn't someone who cares about anybody else.

"I can say the same thing about you." Courtney said back to her. Aria stared at her. "Jason never had anybody who cares about him. You're the only one. That's what makes you so important to him. Losing you, it will destroy him." Courtney said. Courtney looked at Aria. "You know that he will never intentionally hurt you."

Hearing what Courtney said to her, make Aria realized something. "That is the reason why you come to see me." Aria stated.

Courtney didn't deny that. "All of this is supposed to be fun. Alison always talked about you. So I wanted to know you. I never meant it to go this far."

Aria rolled her eyes on her. "That seriously your best excuse to any of this?" Aria asked with a disbelief tone.

"How can I get to you guys? Ali is dead. And you don't know about me. If you come to your door step, you're just gonna shock to death." Courtney said.

"It doesn't mean that it was okay to taunting us." Aria said.

Courtney smirked at her. "Nobody likes a downer, Aria. I just wanted a little fun."

"Well, it isn't fun for any of us, at all."

Courtney giggles. "Fine. Back to that. Do we have a deal or not? I'll tell you everything and you don't leave my brother."

Aria rolled her eyes on her. "If you are A, you know me so well then. You know that I will never agree to that." Aria said again. She looked at Courtney. "If Jason and I are gonna work on this, it will be because of us. Not you."

Strangely enough, Courtney smiled at Aria, sincerely. "Couldn't hurt to try, huh." She said like she knows that it isn't gonna work out. Aria will never gonna agree with that. And she is actually looks okay with that. She looked at Aria again with a serious expression. "I'm already texted Megan. She and the girls will be right here soon. I will tell you everything then."

Aria couldn't help but wonder. "Why? After all of this time, you're just gonna tell us everything?"

Courtney keeps her serious expression. "I just wanted have some fun. I never meant to hurt any of you, especially Jason." And Aria has her answer. It is because she seriously considered of leaving Jason that makes Courtney comes out from her hiding. Aria doesn't know whether she could trust her, but one thing she does know is Courtney cares a lot about Jason.

Aria's thought interrupted by the sound of the door knocked. "It must be them." Courtney said. She was about to preceded Aria to come out from the room, but Aria immediately stopped her.

"You're not going anywhere." Aria stated. "It could be just my parents or Mike. They will be shocked to death if they're sees you." Aria said, repeating what Courtney said earlier. Courtney just smirked and throws herself on Aria's bed. "Just stay here. Don't go anywhere."

"I'm the one that come here. I'm not going anywhere." Aria doesn't know why but she feels that she can trust her right now.

Aria walked down the stairs and opened the front door. The one who is standing in front of her isn't who she expected. "Jason? Why are you here?"

Jason is standing so weakly in front of her with his hand clutching to a cane that supported his weight. Without even thinking about this, Aria immediately reached out to him and throws his arm around her shoulders so she can help him stand. She is supposed to be still mad at him, but she can't do that now when he needs her help.

"I can't just let you go. Not like this." Jason said.

"Just come in and sit first, okay?" Aria carefully guided Jason to walk into the house. "You broke your leg. You shouldn't be on your feet." Aria said.

"I don't care about my leg. I don't care about anything else. I just care about you. There is nothing more important to me than you, Aria." Jason said. He pulled out his hand and looked straight at her. "I made a mistake. I'm really sorry. If I could take it back, I would. But I can't. It happened. But I'm not gonna give up. I will do anything to fix this. Just tell me what I can do. I can't lose you."

Seeing Jason like this, all Aria can think of is what Courtney just said to her. Jason looks so broken. He needs her. What Courtney says is right. Nobody cares about him. Even his own parents rarely think of him. He doesn't have anyone else. Aria is the only one he has. Without think about it any longer, Aria throws her arms at Jason and hug him tightly. Looking at him so broken also makes her broken inside.

"Just don't ever lie to me again." Aria whispered to Jason's ear.

"I promise." Jason said and squeezes her tighter. He couldn't believe that Aria is in his arms again. And he swore that he will never ever gonna let her go. Ever.

A voice brings him back to reality. "You're welcome, brother." Jason doesn't even have to think who the owner of this voice is. He knows her so well. He hears it every night on his nightmare. Jason pulled away from Aria and looked at the person who standing on the stairs.

"Alison."

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer : I don't have Pretty Little Liars

* * *

><p>"She's Courtney." Aria said to Jason after a while. Jason and Courtney don't say anything to each other and just standing at their place, staring at each other. Aria feels so uncomfortable for just stand there, between them. So, she coughs to get their attention.<p>

Jason took a quick glance at Aria but back to stare at Courtney again. "No. She's Ali." Jason said.

Aria is confused. Why Jason keeps calling her Ali? She realized that they are twins, but Jason is their brother. He is supposed to be able to separate them. Besides, Ali is dead. She needs to get some explanation for this. Aria pulled Jason's hand so she gets his full attention. "What's going on? Why you keep calling her Ali?" Aria asked, demands an explanation.

When Jason looked at right at her, Aria could see the anger in his eyes. What happened? Why is he looking so mad? Aria is more confused than she already is. "Because she is Ali. She isn't Courtney." Jason looked back to 'Courtney'. "What the hell is wrong with you? You faked your own death? You just had to let everybody thinks that you died."

Strangely 'Courtney' smiles at him and walked to them. "I really can't deceive you, huh."

"I know your voice." Jason said. Jason looked at her. "I'm your brother, Ali. Do you really think that I won't recognize your voice?"

Courtney or Alison smirked at him. "Courtney and I had the same voice, you know. Even mom and dad couldn't separate us. And you haven't seen or heard her since she was six." Alison reminds him.

Jason scoffed. "But I heard you my whole life. And I always can separate between you and Courtney. You just have that bad vibe when I'm around you." Jason said.

But Alison still smiled at him. "Just say it that you're always thinking of me. I know that you missed me."

"What the hell is going on?" Aria interrupted the brother and sister, demands for an explanation.

Alison looked at Aria. "It's really nice to see you again too, Aria. You really are my best friend. You thought I'm dead and you keep trying to find out who killed me. I'm really proud of you guys."

Aria widened her eyes. She doesn't know what to say. She never thinks this could happen. "That's not possible. You're not Ali. You can't be Ali." Aria said. Even her voice doesn't sound convinced. Alison smirked at her. The smirk that she always seen on Alison's face. "Are you really Alison?" Aria asked, once again. Alison answered her again with a smirk. "But you're dead. How? What happened?"

"Yeah, what the hell happened? So I supposed it was Courtney who was lying in your grave right now?" Jason asked her too.

Ali's expression changed serious. In fact, she looks – sad. "In my defense, I never meant for her to get hurt. And I never planned to be A. By the way, it is so obvious you know, A for Alison." Alison said.

Aria widened your eyes. She understands what Ali said. She said why they couldn't guess that about her, it supposed to be easy. "You're supposed to be dead." Aria said with a sarcastic tone.

Jason is just rolling his eyes on her. Don't ever think to use that as an excuse. There is no excuse in the world that makes it okay for you to do this." Jason said. Ali is just smirking at them.

"You haven't heard what happened yet." Alison said.

Suddenly they heard the door knock. Hard. The guest could hardly wait for the door to open. "It must be the girls. Hurry and let them in and we can start the press conference." Ali said.

Aria sighed and head for the door. She doesn't even have to see who is knocking; she knows that it must be Spencer. She opened the door and looked at Spencer's frantic face.

"Megan got a text. Courtney is at your house?" Spencer immediately asked Aria.

Aria doesn't know how to explain this to her friends. "Not quite." That is the only words that she can say at the moment.

Hanna and Emily raised their eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?" Spencer asked again.

Aria sighed and stepped aside. "You better come in first." Aria widened the door and stepped aside so all of them can come in. Megan is the last one that entering the house.

They all are shocked to see 'Courtney' standing in front of them. Hanna and Emily couldn't say anything. They are just standing there and don't take their eyes off her. "She looks exactly like Ali." Spencer comment.

"That's not entirely true." Aria commented again, makes the others to look at her with a confused face. Aria turned to Ali and rolled her eyes at her. Aria is trying say to Ali to jump in any second to explain what she did. But she just smirked at Aria. Aria sighed again. She doesn't know why she bothers to ask for Ali's help. She should realize that this is a fun thing for Ali, make her sweat.

She coughs nervously and looked at her best friends. She can't avoid this any longer, she had to tell them. "She's not looks exactly like Ali." Aria paused. "She is Ali."

"What?" Hanna widened her eyes.

"That can't be. It's impossible." Spencer also very shocked.

"She's dead." Emily said with a shocked face.

"Ouch." Alison walked to Emily. "I'm so sad to hear you said that. You were always my favorite, Em. Nobody loved me as much as you did. Don't you always big on happy endings?" Alison stands in front of Emily. "I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be."

Emily remembers that. Alison said to her once, when they had their first kiss at the library. She gasped and widened her eyes. She can't believe this, but Alison is standing right in front of her.

"Are you really Alison?"

"It's me." Alison said to Emily. They always thought that Emily is the one that knows Alison better than the rest of them. So if Emily believes that she is Ali. They all believe her.

"What the hell is going on? You're supposed to be dead." Hanna softens the tone.

"This is impossible. They found your body. We went to your funeral. We made a memorial for you." Spencer also said.

"It's immortality, my darlings." Alison said along with her famous smirk. She said that to them before, when she was talking about die young. There is no doubt for them anymore. She is Alison.

Emily looked at Alison again. "We buried you." Emily notices something. "If you're here, and who's –"

Emily didn't have the chance to finish what she said when Megan gasped. This is the first time she reacted since she comes into the house. The others looked at Megan and understand. "Of course. The police only declare the body was you based on DNA. Twins have same DNA." Spencer said.

Megan covers her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from screaming. But she is obviously hyperventilating. She is shocked and grieved. She glared at Alison. "You're evil."

Jason immediately turned to Alison. He knows exactly what Megan is trying to accuse her of. "Did you kill her?" Jason asked with a horrified tone.

Alison's face changed. She looks offended. "No!" She said. "Of course not. She is my sister. I loved her." Alison looked at Jason. "Even more than I love you. I loved her more than anyone in this whole world." When she said that, they all can hear the truth in her tone.

But Jason scoffed. "How can I believe you when you compared your love for her are like yours to me?" Jason said with a sarcastic tone. Aria watched him. She understand that he never feel Ali's love for him. Ali never showed it. Ali never shows her love to anyone. She just acted on them. When she thinks of her as Alison, not Courtney, she realized something. It is Alison who comes to Aria before she went to anyone else to tell Aria not to leave Jason. That is one proof of her love for her brother. But Aria doesn't say anything. The one thing she knows well about Ali, is her pride. She knows Ali wouldn't want her to out their conversation earlier.

It's like they are thinking the same thing when Alison took a glance at Aria. They are just looking at each other. And Alison knows, that she didn't need to tell Aria not to let out their conversation earlier, Aria knows.

"We all here now. It is time for you to tell us everything." Aria said. The others didn't say anything, but they all are looking at Alison.

Alison walked to the couch. The others followed her. "Do you remember the time when I got back from my grandmother's house?" Alison asked the others. They all nodded. How can they ever forget? That is the last day they saw her. "That wasn't me. That was Courtney." They all raised their eyebrows, but they didn't interrupt her. "She wanted to spend more time with Ian. After all that she had done for me, it's the least I could do for her. We used to switch all the times, anyway."

The things that Alison said makes Jason flinch. "What she had done for you?" Alison looked at Jason. She understands what is that Jason wanted to know. "Don't you think this is the time to tell me what really happen that day?" Jason said again to her sister.

"I told you. She stabbed me." Alison said.

Megan scoffed. "I can't believe that you still lying about that. I saw you! You stabbed yourself." Megan said to Alison.

Alison glared at Megan. "No, I didn't. You were asleep, in case you forget." Alison said with a sarcastic tone.

Alison still wouldn't admit it, but Megan isn't one to give up either. "But I wake up at the right time. I saw you holding the knife on your stomach."

Alison scoffed. "To pull it." Alison added. "I didn't stab myself. Courtney is the one who stabbed me." Alison said. She looked at the others and then Jason. "But I told her to."

"What?" Jason widened his eyes.

"She knew me better than anyone else. She'll do anything for me. And like you all know. I always crave for attention. This is just another attempt for it. I didn't know that they will send her to the psychiatric hospital." Alison said. They all can hear the hint of guilt in her voice.

"And all of this time, you never think to tell the truth? You just gonna let her stay there for the rest of her life?" Jason shouted at her. They can see the anger in his voice.

Alison looked at Jason. "She didn't mind it. You know how socially awkward she was. With her staying at the hospital, she gets to skipped all of that. It's a win-win situation."

Jason glared at her. "I can't believe you! She was our sister!" Jason shouted at her.

Alison scoffed. "It's funny that it came from your mouth considering that you wrote her off since we were six." Alison said.

Jason widened his eyes out of anger. He is piss off. "I did that because of you!"

"Can you two skip that for later?" Hanna said to both Jason and Alison. Jason sighed and throws himself on the couch. Aria walked to him and sits next to him. She reached for his hand. She is trying to comfort him. But it is kind of hard to focused on that when she waiting for Ali to continue her story.

Alison turned back to the others. "Like I said, we used to switch all the times. When she was being me, I will stay at her room, so no one notice that she was gone. But it usually just a day or two. Never this long. I got bored. So I snooped around her things. She hates when I snoop around, so I never done it before. She knew me so well. She can see through me. But I barely knew her. She always was hide who she was, even from me. I never can figure out what she was thinking about." Alison explains. "When I snoop around her room, I found some stuff in there. Like your picture." Alison said to Spencer.

Spencer widened her eyes. "Me?"

Alison nodded. "There's also Melissa, and Jenna."

Alison doesn't have to explain it to them, the girls could guess it. "All of Ian's girls." Hanna said. Suddenly Hanna chuckled. "You all really are sisters." Alison and Spencer turned to Hanna. "There are four of you. And all of you fall for Ian."

"I didn't." Alison immediately protested. They all are looking at her. They all didn't believe her. "I always get what I want. I just wanted to know why Courtney interested in this guy. It's just a flirt. That's all. Like I said, we switch all the times. Courtney is the one who crazy about Ian. I have no idea why."

"And Ian knows there are two of you?" Aria asked.

Alison nodded. "He knows about us from the beginning. In fact, he was the only one that knows about us. Ian and I, we had an understanding. He knew that there is no good will comes out if he tells anybody about our situation."

"Why she had our pictures?" Spencer ignored them all and asked straight about something that bugging her.

Alison turned to Spencer. "Because she knows about all of you and Ian. Like I said, she was crazy about Ian. She wanted him for herself. She didn't want to share Ian with all of you. I found a video about Jenna. She was about to share it to public, so Jenna would never could return to Rosewood, to Ian." Alison said.

Spencer looked at Alison with an intrigued expression. "Are you talking about the video of Jenna and Toby?" Alison nodded. "That video couldn't come out. If anybody knows about that, how can Toby face the world again? Yes, it might affect Jenna more but Toby also involved in this." Spencer said.

Alison scowled at her. "Is the video ever come out?" Alison said with a sarcastic tone. "I made sure that video never comes out. I kept my promise. Toby did what I told him. So I will never reveal his secret." Alison said. She turned to the others. "But I'm not gonna let that video go waste. I went to see Jenna and used it to threaten her not to tell anyone about what happened." They know that she was talking about the Jenna thing. "After that, I hid the video on the place that I think the safest." Alison turned to Emily. "Emily." They remember the times when Emily found the hidden key and found Jenna's video. They know that Alison was telling the truth.

When Alison tells them all, suddenly a lot of memories come rushing back. "She threatened me to tell Melissa the truth about what happened between me and Ian." Spencer remembers what happened that day.

"I saw that, around the corner." Alison said. Spencer rolled her eyes on her. Alison could see that is the judging looks on their face. "I know what she was about to do, but I didn't know how she was gonna do it, so I have to observe." The others are just shook their head. Alison already has her argument. There is no way that they can win an argument with her.

Alison looks at the others. She knows that Spencer already told them what happened between her and Courtney that day. "One thing that you didn't know is that Ian was listening the whole time." Alison said. The girls widened their eyes because of this brand new information. "Ian was waiting for Courtney to confront her."

"What happened then?" Aria asked. She has a bad feeling that Alison sees what happened with Courtney. She knows who kill her.

"Courtney was shocked to see Ian outside the room. She never prepared to get caught. But then Ian doesn't know she was Courtney. He thought she was me. And he was demanding an explanation why I did that to him. Courtney plays along. She pretended to be me. She is already so good at that, even Ian doesn't realize it. She told him the same thing like she told you." Alison said to Spencer. "If no one told Melissa, she was the one that gonna do it in the morning."

The girls are looking at each other. They didn't need words to each other. They all think about the same things. That is motive to kill her. All of this time, the killer still could be Ian.

"Courtney was satisfied with that. She thought that she made her point. One of you will have to tell Melissa the truth. And she was sure that one of you are gonna do it." Alison said again. She looked at them with a serious expression. "One thing that she didn't know. Ian did love Melissa. And he will never let Melissa knew about that fling." The thing that Alison said, only confirm their suspicion about Ian.

But then they remember one more thing. "We know that Ian was involved in this. What about Jenna?" Hanna asked. "The last time you saw her, she still in Philly, right?"

Alison looked at Hanna. "Jenna was waiting for Ian outside the house. She was with Garrett. After he talked to Courtney, Jenna went to him. She was furious with Ian because of that leaked video. But Ian said to her that I stole it from him. Jenna demands him to do something about it. She can't let that video comes out. Ian said he had a plan." Alison looked at the others. "I can't hear what they are planning. The distance is too far. And I can't go closer without being seen."

"And what happened then?" Jason talked again. This is the first time he talked after he shouted angrily at Alison.

Alison looked straightly at him. "Ian called Courtney and took her to the woods. He made that video of her, the ones that you all had seen." Alison said.

"She was still alive at that time, right? We saw her move." Spencer said, remembering what they had seen at the video.

"Not for long." Alison has that sad expression on her face again. "If I knew what is gonna happened; I will do whatever it takes to save her." Alison said, straightly to Jason. She wants him to know; that she wasn't just let Courtney die like that and didn't care for her.

Jason looked at her and realized the hurt expression on Alison's face. He doesn't know what to think. But when he remembered his twin sisters, they had been really close since they were little. Even after Courtney admitted to the hospital, Alison is the only one that keep visited her. That Alison wouldn't hurt Courtney. "So what happened after that?" Jason asked her.

"What Courtney didn't know, Ian isn't the only one that recorded them. Jenna and Garrett are hiding at the bushes; recorded the two of them. I couldn't guess what they were up to at the time." Alison explains. They all are just quiet. They know that this is the moment that they've been waiting for all year. Finally, they will found out what happened that day. "What they were doing that didn't see at the video is they were having sex, right there, in the ground, with Jenna and Garrett recorded them."

"What? Are they sick?" Hanna's face looks disgusted.

"I should have guessed what they wanted to do that time." Alison said. They all are looking at her confuse. "After Ian finished with her, Jenna and Garrett come out from their hiding. They threatened her back with that video. They are gonna show that video to Spencer if she didn't back out from her threat." Alison looked at Spencer. "I'll care if that was really me that doing that. They know that I care about you. Our friendships are important to me." Alison said to the girls. "But she wasn't me. And she barely knows you. So she didn't care. Their plan was backed fire." Alison looked back to the others. She remembers what happened that day clearly. In fact, she always plays it over and over in her head. She can never forget what happened that day.

*FLASHBACK*

Courtney is laughing when she heard their demand of that video. She can't understand why they think that she will care about that, or why Ali will care if Spencer knows. "Be my guest then. That will actually help me. You should just show that to Melissa."

She can see the shocked expression in their face. Jenna looked at Ian. "You said that this will work."

Ian still has a shocked expression on his face. "It supposed to work. She was supposed to care about her best friends." Ian said. He looked at Courtney. "How can I know what she is just a heartless bitch?"

Courtney is laughing again. "I take that as a compliment. And this isn't over. You are trying to stab me in the back, Ian. I won't let it slip just like that. I will show this video to Spencer myself." Courtney looked at Jenna who is the one that holding the recorder. Quickly she run to her and tries to grab the recorder from her. But Jenna isn't giving up the recorder just like that. She tries to hang on to it. But she couldn't see, so it kind of difficult for her to know what her opponent is doing. The one thing that she can think of at the moment is broke it. She throws the recorder as hard as she can.

Courtney glared at Jenna, is not like she can see it, but she can feel it. "You think this is can stop me?" Courtney takes the broken recorder on the ground. She opened the memory card and holds it on her hand. "Jason has another recorder in his room." Courtney smirked at them all. "You think I don't know what you were doing every day?"

Courtney was about to walk back to the house when Jenna suddenly jumped at her. "I'll slow her. Hurry up and grab that recorder." Jenna shouted at both Ian and Garrett. And they didn't have to be told twice. Both of them quickly run to the DiLaurentis house.

They didn't have to look for that recorder because as soon as they walked into the house, that can see where the recorder is. Jason was holding it. And he was high. Ian turned to Garrett. "Hurry up and grab that recorder from high Jason."

"Why you don't grab it? You can't order me around anymore!" Garrett shouted at him.

Ian rolled his eyes on him. "Where is this coming from? I never order you around. We're friends. Remember?" Ian said. He is confused.

Garrett scoffed. "Friends? Are you kidding me? You never think of me as friend." Ian is just looking at him, demanding more explanation about this outburst. "I told you, I love Jenna. She is the one for me. And you did that behind our back?" Garrett could concentrate because Jason keeps talk to himself. He turned to Jason. "Jason, stop taping us!" Garrett walked to Jason and tries to grab the recorder, but Jason wouldn't let go. Garrett turned back to Ian. "You leaked that video to Alison DiLaurentis! She will destroy Jenna."

"I didn't!" Ian shouted back at him. "I told you, she stole it. "

Garrett shook his head. He didn't believe Ian. "And Jenna is still trying to help you. We grabbed this recorder to make sure that it didn't back fire to you." There is a sad expression on his face. "Don't you get it? Jenna has feeling for you. She is in love with you."

Ian widened his eyes. He never knows. "What? That is impossible. She knows that I'm with Melissa. And Spencer. And also Ali. Why she could fall in love with me?"

Garrett sighed when he heard him. "I have no idea. You're an asshole."

"You're what?" Courtney stand at the door and looked at Ian with a shocked expression. They didn't understand why she has that kind of face. Courtney never knows about her involvement with Ian too. And now, she knows. Alison can see how hard for Courtney to maintain her cover as her, but she keeps maintain it very well. She put on a smirk on her face. "You're an asshole. That is so right. Is already all? You've been taping all the girls at Rosewood. There must be others beside the three of us."

Garrett turned to Ian. "You told her about that too? I can't believe you! It supposed to be a secret, Ian! God!" Garrett started to panic. "If those video ever comes out, we're done! I can't believe you're that stupid."

"I didn't. Why I told her that and expose myself? We're in this together, Garrett. You have to believe me." Ian denied it.

Garrett glared at Ian while Jenna appears behind Courtney. "Did you get the recorder?" Jenna asked both of them.

But Courtney is the one that answer her. "No. I will get it." Courtney is about to walk to Jason and grabbed that recorder from him.

Garrett turned to Ian. "Fix this. It's over when she gets that recorder."

Ian knows that Garrett is right. Ian walked to Courtney and grabbed her hand. "Stop it! This is ridiculous, Ali. Why you wanted Melissa to know about this? Let it go." Ian is tried to reason with her.

Courtney turned to Ian and faces him. "You wanted to know why I'm doing this?" She dared him. "You can't do that to Courtney!" Courtney shouted in his face.

Garrett and Jenna looked at them. "Who is Courtney?"

Ian quickly turned to Garrett. "No one. I'll deal with her. You two clean up in here." Ian is referring to the recorder that Jason holds. Ian pulled Courtney outside to the back of the barn where they could have their privacy. "Are you out your mind? You are about to out Courtney to all of them!"

"I can't take this anymore. Courtney has been sacrifice a lot for you. And you did this to her. She is my sister. I can't let you keep hurting her." Courtney said to Ian.

"Courtney wouldn't want this. She was happy with this arrangement. She understands me. She knows that Melissa is the one who I love. She wouldn't be happy if she knows that you want to destroy me." Ian is trying to persuade her.

Alison couldn't see Courtney expression for their distance. But she can feel her heart broken. She never thought that Ian really love Melissa. "You really love Melissa?"

Ian nodded without hesitation. That makes Courtney hurting even more. "She is the one for me. I know that I'm an asshole. I shouldn't be lead on so many girls. But I can't help it. I like girls. And they love me. But I swear, Melissa is the only one who I love." Ian said again. Ian has mistaken the hurt expression on her face as surrenders. "I promise you I will break things up with Courtney immediately and I will not bother her anymore. But please don't say anything to Melissa. She will leave me if she knows about this. And I can't lose her."

Suddenly Courtney is laughing. Ian thought she was going mad. But Alison understands her. She can feel how hurt she is. She is her twin. Courtney glared at Ian. "You really are an asshole. You don't deserve to be happy. I will destroy you!" And right now, Ian could see clearly the hatred in her eyes. He knows that she will tell Melissa and there is nothing that he can do to stop her, except – without realizing it, he grabbed the shovel from his side and bashes her head. In seconds her body is lying on the ground. Alison couldn't do anything at the moment. She is shocked. She can't move. She feels numb. Her sister is dead.

"What the hell did you do?" Jenna and Garrett walked to him. Jenna couldn't see it, but she knows what happening when she heard what Garrett said to Ian.

Ian's face is full of horror. He never thought that he could do something like that. "I didn't have a choice. She cornered me. I try to talk to her but she wouldn't listen. She is gonna tell Melissa." Ian said. They can fear in his voice.

Jenna carefully walked to the Courtney's lifeless body on the ground and checked her pulse. "She is still alive." Jenna said when she feels her pulse in her fingers.

"What?" Ian is terrified. "I'm gonna call the ambulance." Ian is about to take out his cell.

"Absolutely not." Jenna said without hesitation. "Isn't the DiLaurentis building a gazebo on their backyard?"

"Yes."

"We know where we can bury her then." Jenna said.

"You're gonna bury her alive?" Ian asked with a shocked tone.

"No. I'm blind. You two are gonna do it." Jenna said.

"Jenna. If she still alive, we can still save her. I am making a mistake. I was –" Ian hasn't have the chance to finish his words, Jenna interrupted her.

"Desperate." Jenna said. "She will gonna tell Melissa, you know. If she's alive, she is gonna tell the police that you are the one who attack her. And your life is over. Do you think Melissa will visit you at the prison when she knows that you are cheating on her?"

Jenna knows exactly what she has to say to Ian. And Ian knows that Jenna is right. "Come on, Garrett. Don't just stand there!"

*END OF FLASHBACK*

"She was still alive when they buried her?" Hanna asked her with a disbelief tone.

Alison nodded. "I should have done something. But I was petrified. I couldn't move. And now she is dead. If I do something back then, she might still be alive." They can hear the guilt in her voice.

"There is nothing that you can do. Who knows what they're gonna do to you if they found out that you've been observing." Aria said to Alison. Aria turned to Jason. He knows what she wanted. Aria wanted him to give some comforting words to his sister. But he is too shocked and overwhelmed to talk about anything at the moment.

"I bring the autopsy report to Wren. He is the one that explain to me how to read it." Spencer opened her mouth. "They didn't found dirt in her lungs. That means she was already dead when they buried her."

"But I heard her. Jenna said she still alive." Alison said.

"Maybe at the time, she was alive. But then they brought her to the DiLaurentis house to buried her, she probably died on the way." Spencer said. She walked to Alison and cupped her hands in hers. "There is nothing that you could do to help her. You don't know that they will kill her."

Alison looked at Spencer, and then Aria, also Emily and Hanna who are nodded with agreement at her. She missed them all. She forgets how it feels to have someone's having your back. Her friends love her. Being A, she has to hide all of this time. All by herself. She almost forgets what it is feels to have friends.

"You should have called the police." Jason said to her.

Alison turned to Jason with a glare. "They killed my sister. I would never let them get away with that. They have to pay." Alison said.

Now they all know why Ali becomes A. She wanted revenge. "She is dead. Courtney is gone. There is nothing that we can do to bring her back. Revenge isn't the answer. It won't do any good for anyone." Jason tries to get her some sense.

"It's easy for you to say. She meant nothing to you." Alison said, bitterly.

"She was my sister too!" Jason shouted as he stands up and walked to her.

"Like you ever care about her." Alison keeps attacked him about this.

"Guys." Aria literally has to step between them before them starts to bite each other heads off. Aria looked at Ali with a sad expression. "I didn't take Jason's side. But he is right. We should have told everything to the police. Let them handle this." Honestly they didn't know what else to do with this information. Finally they found out what happened that day. Ian, Jenna and Garrett are murderer. The only one that they can think of is report them to the police.

"The police?" Alison glared at her friends. "He's one of them! How can you trust the police?" They realized that Alison is right. Garrett is one of the police.

"What is your plan then?" Spencer looked at her.

"I'm gonna destroyed them. Both of them."

* * *

><p>to be continued...<p>

Author's note : Sorry that I took forever to update. So glad that many of you enjoying this story. thanks.


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